Choosing My Side Sophia Lupin's story
by SophiaOfSlytherin
Summary: So it's HBP from an OCs Point of view... No flames, please. Not OC/HP. Spoilers to anyone who hasn't read HBP or DH. Rated T for language and slightly mature themes.
1. A Summer of Tears

He was dueling Lucius; he was even winning, it looked like. It took his full attention, which may have been why he didn't hear my warning; "Sirius, Bellatrix! She's-..!" By the time I got the words out, Bellatrix had sent a spell hurling through the air at Sirius. He stumbled back, and began to fall into the curtain.

"No, Sirius!" said my father, trying to catch him. Instead of stopping the fall then and there, Dad, too, tumbled back, and both fell into the curtain. Both were lost.

"Sirius!" Harry screamed. He tried to follow a retreating Bellatrix, but Remus held him back as best as he could. Yes, Harry broke free, but it took some doing. Bellatrix skipped off merrily, singing, "I killed Sirius Black!" After the verse about Sirius ended, she paused her song, then added, "And Jamison, too!"

I don't know, personally, how Harry had the courage to follow a murderer. It might be because he was a Gryffindor, and I was a Slytherin. In any case, I, who just lost my last remaining parent, simply crumpled to the ground, sobbing. All I could see was my father and Sirius. Two of the people I admired most gone.

I struggled for my footing, but I kept slipping, no doubt because my tears had soaked the ground where I was. I looked over to Tonks, whose mouth was hanging open in shock, still, and tears were flooding in her eyes, about to start running down her cheeks. Her hair wasn't pink anymore, either. I looked at my own hair, which, too, was no longer colorful; it was a mournful gray. I, too, could change my hair. It must run in the family.

My gaze went over to Remus, whose feelings I could only imagine, having just lost his two remaining best friends. He wasn't sobbing, but I think I saw a few tears dripping down. He nodded to me, seeing me staring, to say, "Let's go home now." I felt a cold, depression take over completely, but I got up and went with Remus.

Then I woke up.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I was sitting straight up in bed, thoroughly soaked in sweat. I must've screamed, because Severus came running down the hallway, into the room. Except for nights like these, I think he really enjoyed my company this summer, so he wasn't alone with Pettigrew, who I found very hard not to injure. I happened to look down, almost in shame, when Severus entered, and I noticed, because of my drenching in sweat, my nightgown appeared very thin, so I yanked up the blankets.

"Is something wrong? I heard screaming," said Severus.

"Wrong?" I said, "Well, sort of.." He whiped a tear from my cheek. I hadn't notice until now that my cheeks were wet, but not a sweaty wet, a tearstained wet. I didn't know I could cry in my sleep.

"What is it, Sophia Jamison?" he asked. I loved the way he always spoke to me; not like a child, as some I knew did, but as an adult; an equal.

"I-It keeps playing in my head!" I confessed, just letting it all out, and tears escaped my eyes. "And in my dreams!... O-over and over again, I-I see myself lose them... It was my fault.."

"Of course you're going to see it for a while," said Severus, "Sophia, you just lost people dear to you. But it's not your fault. Never think it's your fault."

"Tonks feels bad because she was fighting Bellatrix," I said, rubbing my eyes, which were no doubt red and puffy from crying, "b-but she got attacked from behind.. Had to turn around for a minute... I-I just stood there.. I did nothing! I didn't.. know.. what to do... Who to attack.."

"Sophia, listen very clearly to me," he replied, very stermly, but caringly, "It isn't your, or Tonks', or anyone else's fault. Don't get that in your head; your father wouldn't like it."

For the first time in since that day at the Ministry, I smiled a little, and my hair was bubble-gum pink, like Tonks' usually is.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It was later in the day now, and I was sitting on the couch, doing what sixteen-year-old girls do: watching T.V. and eating junk food. I heard a knock on the door, but, knowing the people Severus talked to, I didn't bother to answer it. I thought of shouting, "Door!" but decided against it.

Severus walked through the room a moment later and answered the door, while giving me a look that read, "You didn't get it because...?" so I shrugged. I couldn't see who was there while they talked out there for a moment, but when he pulled them in and they took off their cloaks, I knew bloody well who they were.

Narcissa seemed worried, if not panicked. Her blonde hair, she pushed from her face. Bellatrix, on the other hand, seemed anxious to get out of here. Her crazy black hair, she let dangle.

"You..!" I couldn't help it; this was the woman who killed not only Sirius and my father, but caused my mother's death twelve years ago. I know it was her, even though she was in Azkaban at the time. The theory that Remus and I developed is that Bellatrix gave my mother a necklace which was hexed before going to prison. The necklace, which she wore every day slowly drove her mad, and one day, about three years later, my mother ended it with her own death, never once suspecting the necklace. I think Bellatrix was jealous.

"Me?" said Bellatrix, looking around to be dramatic, "What about me, Little Sophie?"

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child!" I snapped, "In fact, don't talk!"

"Sophia," said Severus, "Don't be ru-.."

"Don't be rude?!" I shouted, "Don't be rude to the woman whose caused everything that's gone wrong in my life?!"

"Dramatic, I see," said Bellatrix with a laugh, "Just like Sara was.."

"Don't talk about her!" I yelled, then turned to Narcissa, adding, "She caused the suicide of your twin sister! She more recently killed not only your cousin, but your brother-in-law! How can you even look at her?!"

Narcissa opened her mouth, but it was Bellatrix who spoke, "Dear Sophie, I wouldn't go yelling at my aunties if I were you. After all, not having parents anymore, we might have to punish you."

"Oh, that's it!" I said, charging at her, but Severus held me back, "Lemme go!"

"Fine," he said calmly, and, after turning me around to face into the hallway, let go, "You were about to leave, were you not? After your snack? Get your things, you'll have to skip the rest of that snack; they're expecting you back."

"Y-...you're kicking me out?" I stuttered, truly hurt.

"No, I'm not kicking you out," Severus said, "I'm just asking you take leave about one-half hour early. Go get your things."

"Also known as kicking me out," I muttered on the way to the room in which I'd been staying all summer. I grabbed my bags and took them through the living room, where Bellatrix, Narcissa, and Severus still stood.

"Buh-bye!" said Bellatrix, smiling and waving.

"Bye, Severus, see you at school." I said, "And goodbye, Narcissa." With that, I tightly tied my bags on the back of my motorcycle, and left.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I knew they changed the location of the Order's meeting place, but I hadn't been informed where yet, so I went to the place I thought I would have the best chance of someone being there; the Burrow.

When I parked my motorcycle, I grabbed my bags off the back, walked up to the door of the Burrow, and stared back towards the parked bike. Tonks gave it to me, and Sirius was very pleased to see me riding one like his, except that mine can't fly. My father hadn't liked it as much, telling Tonks it was "reckless" to buy a "young girl" a "deathly contraption." Mum would've loved it.. She'd've rode it as often as I do.

I was at the door to the Burrow, and yet I didn't knock. I just sat down out there for a moment, with now not only my father and Sirius' deaths playing in my head like a broken record, but also Bellatrix's face today. It made me want to re-do my family tree. Anyone would admite, most of my relatives were horrid people.

On my father's side, I was not even English, which I was greatful for. Dad was half American and half German. His sister Anna had three children, who were some of my closest companions; Juliet, the tom-boy, and Lola, the girly-girl, were twins, though they acted nothing alike. They had a younger brother, who was my age, named Chris. But they were fine. It was my mothers side I disliked.

Mum had three sisters named Andromeda, Narcissa, and, unfortunately, Bellatrix. She had a cousin named Sirius, too. Narcissa was her favorite sister. They were very close, if only because they were twins. My cousins on this side were Tonks and Draco.

My family thoughts were interupted by the front door opening, and a family voice saying, "Oh! Sophia!"

I instantly turned around and smiled to the woman I saw. "Hello, Molly! Can I come in?"

"Of course!" said Mrs. Weasley, "Come in, come in!"

I did so, and she brought in my bags. I went into the living room and saw Remus asleep on the couch. I gave a glance to Molly to ask what was wrong with him.

"He's just tired," said Molly, "Poor man's been working very hard."

"....I'm gonna wake him up." Without a furthur word, I went over and sat on his chest.

"Hey, get off of m-.." He began drowsily, but I cut him off.

"Wotcher, Remus!" I said, smiling, "Do anything this summer?"

"It might be easier to tell you about it," he said, "if you got off of my lungs."

I got up, flipped his legs off the end of the couch, making him sit up, and plopped myself beside him with a smile, "All right, now spill."

"Well for one thing, I went through your fathers will," said Remus.

"He had a will?" I asked, "He never said anything..."

"Yes, he had a will. He gave it to me before we went to the Ministry," Remus said solomnly, "'Don't open this 'til you come back', he said."

"What'd he want done with his stuff?" I questioned.

"You get half of his money," he replied, "But you can't touch it until you're of age. That's actually, er, all you get. He said you can take your pick of your mothers things, though."

"Whatever. What about the other half?"

"He wants it sent to his 'sisters only son'," said Remus.

"Chris gets it? Ok," I said, "...You do anything else this summer?"

"Well, Sophia," Remus began, "In the will it said, 'I leave my daughter to her godfather', but it didn't say which one, so.... I'm adopting you."

"Really?!" I said with a big smile the world hadn't seen for a while, "That's awesome! Does that make me a Lupin?!"

"Hold your horses, Sophie!" Remus laughed, "It's not finalized yet. You have to sign some papers agreeing that you want me to."

"You know darn well I want you to!" I said, "I'm gonna be a Lupin!"

"You don't have to change your name...." said Remus.

"Oh, I'm changing it!" I couldn't help but shouting, "I'm gonna be a Lupin!"

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In a voice so much calmer that it seemed like someone else's voice, I added, "Do anything else? I want to know everything, y'know."

He went half pale, and half red in the face as he said, "Yes, I did something else.."

"....Well what is it?" I asked. I had so much to learn about. After all, it was already the second week of August.

"I-I think..." he stuttered, "I f-fell in love."

"Sweet!" I exclaimed, "With who?" I crossed my fingers and thought, _Tonks, Tonks, Tonks..._

"...Tonks..." he said, but quickly added, "But nothing's going to happen about it!"

I looked at him in a confusion equal to if he had been speaking chinese. "Well, why not?"

"Because, Soph." said Remus, "I'm old... I'm poor... I'm.. dangerous."

"Remus!" I said, "You are not old, you can have all of my share of Dad's money, and you aren't dangerous when you take your freaking potion. That's like saying I'm too dangerous to date."

"It's different for you," he protested, "You're young. It's not as bad with you."

".......So you're not going to do anything about being in love?" I asked.

"Yep."

"Nothing at all?"

"Yep."

"You're such a fool, Remus," I said, shaking my head.

"No, I'm not, Sophia," said Remus seriously, "I'm not a fool. I'm doing the right thing here."

"It won't be the right thing when Tonks keeps getting rejected, thinking you hate her.." I muttered.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

An awkward silence had spread over the room in which Remus and I sat. I just listened to the silence until it ws interupted by the door, and a familiar voice; "Wotcher, Weasleys!"

"Speak of the devil.." I said quietly, before taking off running into the kitchen. I practically tackled Tonks when I hugged her.

"Wotcher, Sophie!" She said, laughing and hugging me back, "Where've you been?"

"Wotcher, Tonks!" I said, not letting go of her, "I've bee-... Your hair's not pink. Why isn't your hair pink, Tonks?"

"Oh..." said Tonks, obviously trying to avoid the subject, "Stuff..."

"Stuff isn't a good answer, Tonks," I said seriously. Sometimes, just by the tone of my voice, it seemed like I was the cousin who was nine years older. "What's going on?"

Tonks looked around to make sure no one else was in hearing range before she whispered, "I'm in love, Soph. He doesn't love me back."

"I'm really hoping you mean Remus," I whispered back.

"Of course I do," Tonks replied quietly, "Who else?"

"Oh, Tonks!" I said, no longer quiet, "He does t-...!"

"Shhh!"

"Oh, Tonks," I said, quiet again, "He does too."

"No he doesn't," said Tonks sadly, "He doesn't love me... He knows I love him, but he doesn't love me. I-I don't know what to do, Soph! I can't eat, and I can't sleep."

"Tonks, he does, I swear," I said, whiping a single tear from her face, "He just told me. He thinks he's too old, poor, and dangerous, or something. But even if he didn't say it, I think it's sort of obvious."

"R-Really?"

"Duh!" I replied, "If he didn't care about you, he wouldn't be trying so hard to make sure you're safe."

"Good point..." she agreed.

"He can't hold out that long, Tonks," I said, "His willpower isn't that strong. He needs you."

"Oh, look," said Ron, coming into the kitchen, "A girls meeting in my kitchen. How sweet. Get away from the refridgerator or I will hurt you."

I stood up and blocked the fridge with my body, "Make me, Weasley!"

Wordlessly, he just picked me up and put me down to the side.

"Darn it!" I said, trying not to laugh, "Why do I have to be so small?!"

"Someone's got to be the midget," said Ron, shrugging.

"..Y'know what, Ron?" I said, sticking out my tongue when I finished, "You suck!"

"Ahh," said Tonks, "That American blood, Soph. Got to love it."

"Say, Ron," I said, changing the subject, "I've only seen you and your mum. Aren't you missing about, oh, I dunno, six or seven Weasleys?"

"Fred and George don't live here anymore," said Ron, "Ginny's asleep, Dad's at work, you've never even met Bill or Charlie..."

"What about Percy?" I asked.

"Don't even ask," said Ron, "His name's practically taboo here."

"Wow..." said I, "That's real, er, special, Ron."

"Yes, isn't it?" said Ron, sarcastically, "It's just so special. Everybody is jealous because I have a git for a brother."

"Even I am envious," I agreed, laughing.

"I'm not," said Tonks honestly.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Suddenly, we heard loud, crashing sounds coming from the stairs, so we dashed into the living room to the end of the stairs, where both Molly and Remus were standing, and saw Ginny tumbling down. After many, many flights of gravity doing its job, Ginny hit the level floor. Everyone gasped at her, as she looked so broken; so painful. And yet her eyes were closed, and she hadn't moved since she fell. Hermione and Fleur Delacour stood at the top of the stairs, to where they had rushed as Ginny began falling. Of course, after the shock wore off, Molly fixed the few broken bones, healed the cuts, and she looked almost perfectly well. Soon after, her eyes opened, and she looked around in a confused haze.

"How'd I get down here?" Ginny asked.

"You fell down the stairs, Ginny!" said Hermione.

"Must've been sleep walking again.." said Ginny.

"I'm very suprised," said I, "Someone fell down stairs and it wasn't me or Tonks!"

"Yes, it's shocking, isn't it?" Tonks agreed.

"Maybe you ought to put a lock on ze door to 'er room," said Fleur, "We don't want zis to 'appen again, do we?"

Though she didn't say anything, Molly had a look that clealy said, "Maybe you should shut up a little bit," and she stared, almost glaring, at Fleur.

"So, why are you here, Fleur?" I asked, "I didn't know you were still even in contact with the Weasleys."

"No one 'as told you?" Fleur asked, "I am engaged to be married."

"Oh, really?" I said, "That's great! To who?"

"Bill," said Molly, and Ginny frowned.

"Wow, congratulations!" said I

"Zank you," said Fleur, smiling that Fleur smile, "I 'ope you plan on attending ze wedding."

"On a different note," I said, then abruptly hugged Hermione, "You didn't write me at Severus'!"

"I honestly didn't want Snape knowing where I live," said Hermione, "And then, the only owl here is Errol." I just stuck my tongue out at her.

"Hey, you didn't complain that I didn't write you!" said Ron, feigning offence.

"Because you never write me," I said with a shrug, "And I can't read your writing anyway."

"It's not his writing that's the hard part," said Ginny, "It's his spelling! He can hardly spell his own last name!"

"Gee, thanks, Ginny," said Ron, "Real wonderful."

"You're so very welcome," Ginny replied.

"Er, I'd better be going," said Remus, who felt quite uncomfortable, with Tonks staring at him and all.

"Awwwww!" I whined, "Don't leave!" but I spoke too late, for he had already Disapparated.

A few moments later, all was calm. Everyone but me were sitting, so when a knock was heard on the door, I went over to answer.

"Who's there?" I asked, having been told to ask before I open, just in case.

"It's Arthur Weasley," said the man on the other side of the door. I started to open it, but he added, "Wait! Don't open it!"

"Why not, Mr. Weasley?" I puzzled, very confused, "Is there something wrong with the door?"

"No, you have to ask me a question for security," Mr. Weasley replied.

"Errr, ok," I said, then searched my brain for a question, "What's.... uh.... Ron's middle name?"

"Bilius," said Mr. Weasley, then I reached for the doorknob, but again he protested, "I have to ask you a question before I come in!"

"Sure, why not?" I said, rolling my eyes.

"What's the worst word in the English language?" he asked me.

"Lycanthropy," I said without hestiation.

"Well it must be Sophia here then!" said Arthur, and I opened the door. "Yes, I was right." The next thing I knew I was trapped in a tight embrace, and I laughed.

"By the way," I said with a grin, "I never knew Ron's middle name."

"But...! It could've not been me!" said Mr. Weasley.

"But, Sir," I said, "It is you."

"But what if-..."

"It was you," I laughed, "And I knew it. A Death Eater wouldn't tell me to ask a quest."

"...You're just like Molly," said he, now laughing.

About an hour after Mr. Weasley got there, Mrs. Weasley made dinner. I offered to help, but she said she didn't need any. She cooked dinner, but I still felt bad not doing anything, so I decided I'd make a dessert. Following the intructions I knew as well as I knew to breathe, I made a wonderful pie.

Eventually, we were done, and she called out, "Dinner!"

As sudden as if I had blinked, the Weasley table was full except for Molly's chair. I glanced around slightly, and saw my chair was being used as Fleur's footstool. When she noticed all of us staring at her, she dropped her feet down.

"Oh, I am sorry!" she said, "I didn't realize we needed zat chair since we didn't ozer nights."

"It's ok," I said, putting the chair back in its stop and sitting down, "Pass me the-.." I stopped mid-sentence, because my eyes landed on two unfamiliar red-haired faces. One was muscular, the other tall and skinny.

Ginny nudged Ron, who said, "Oh, right. Sophie, this is Bill, and this is Charlie. Bill and Charlie, this is Sophie."

"Oh!" I said, "Nice to meet you two. I'd shake your hands if you were closer."

"I've heard alot about you from Lola, Sophie," said Charlie.

"Oh?" I said, "I should've realized... From her description... I see." Charlie, of course, was currently very close with my cousin Lola. Very close.

"We got here while you were helping Mum cook," said Bill, talking to me, but looking at Fleur.

"Yeah, I figured," I replied.

By the time we were all done, as it was a rule that no one leaves until everyone's done, it was around nine o' clock. It took so long because everyone was talking instead of chewing. Charlie's talk of dragons was very interesting to me, and Bill's stories of those who tried to rob Gringott's were so exciting that I had trouble not screaming sometimes.

"Ron, carry up Sophia's things for her," said Mr. Weasley, "She'll sleep in Percy's room."

"I'll carry them," said Ron, "But I'm not going in Percy's room; he's got cooties!"

"Idiot," Ginny muttered.

"Hang on, Ron," I said, "I'll help carry my things!" I looked at my stack of bags, and grabbed my purse, which was about the smallest thing I had with me, and started up the stairs.

"Marvelous help, you are," said Ron, lugging up my things behind me, "Bloody idiot."

"No, you!" I laughed, then asked, "Why do you have so many stairs?"

"How else would we fit so many of us?" Ron asked, expecting to win the conversation.

"A really big two-floor house?" I suggested, and Ron's forehead met his hand, causing him to drop half of my things.

"Clutz!" I laughed, "Go get that!" I pointed at my things falling down the stairs.

After about half an hour of Ron attempting to get my things up, we finally succeeded, and my things were in Percy's room.

"Well, what do you think?" Ron asked.

After a moment of thought, I replied, "...Too clean."

Ron laughed and said, "G'night Soph."

"Night, Ron!" I called after him as he climbed up more stairs.

I shut the door, and changed into my nightwear. Sitting at Percy's desk, I saw his prefect badge, as shiney as ever. Next to it was his Head Boy badge, which was even bigger, and shinier, I think, if it's possible. On the desk's corner, I saw a photo album labeled, "Hogwarts," so naturally I took it to back to the bed with me to look at. It felt sort of weird, sitting in a guy's bed, even if he didn't use it.

Opening the album, I was very suprised; he had pictures of everyone of every year, every house, from each of his seven years. No wonder the album was so big. Each person had their own page of photos, and his comments on them. A few were negative, but mostly, he wrote a positive thing about each person. I laughed when I saw each of Fred or George's pages said, "No Comment."

This book was so extensive, it had an index. Naturally, I looked up my pages from first, second, and third year (My third being his last). My first year page had a picture I was never aware had been taken, and said, "Nice girl. Wish she wasn't Slytherin."

_I get that comment alot,_ I thought to myself.

Second year had a picture from Colin Creevey's camera, and I was trying to avoid it, with my hand almost against the lense. I wondered how he got this picture. The comment said, "Has been through a lot, but comes out with a positive experience." I remembered that that was the year I really started talking to him at all. I had told him about my mother, I recalled.

Third year may have been my favorite of these pages. The picture was from the night poor Remus transformed, so I was scratched up and slightly bloody, though more, I think, was from the Whomping Willow than him, because he only scratched me once. The comment was so suprising, I had to read it repeatedly; "Beautiful eyes. Wish she was older." Just seeing this made me want to find Penelope Clearwater, his, to what I know, still girlfriend. All her comments, I discovered, said, "Fun to spend time with," or, "Nice personality." I thought mine was better.

"Hey, Sophie?" said a voice in the doorway. I jumped about a foot in the air (even though I was sitting), and hid the album behind my back.

"Yeah, Hermione?" I said, looking at her standing there.

"..What are you doing?" she asked, "You seem.. jumpy.. Like you're up to something."

"When am I ever up to something?" I said, and she raised an eyebrow, "Just looking through Percy's stuff."

"Sophia!" said Hermione.

"Yes, Mum?" I said, and winked at her.

She said nothing furthur about it; "Goodnight, Sophie."

"G'nite, Mum!" I said, pulling the album back out, and turning to my own page from third year once again. I grabbed my favorite pen and wrote, in my fancy hand-writting:

_**Say! Thanks, Perce! ;)**_

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	2. Returning to School

The next morning, I woke up the same as I had at Severus'; Screaming, drenched in sweat, crying, and hair long and white. It seemed like the second I woke up screaming, Harry stood in my doorway. He must've just been in the hallway to have gotten there so fast, but the question was how he got here.

"Sophie? What's wrong?" said Harry. I think he was scared; like my nightmares reminded him of those he had. "Why'd you scream?"

"Harry!?" I said, not answering his question. Getting out of bed as fast as I could, I tripped, fell, and hurt my wrist. Not even feeling the pain yet, I ran over and hugged him, "When did you get here?"

"Last night, about midnight," he shrugged, "Why'd you scream?"

"Oh," I said, "Nightmare. I-..." The pain from my wrist now set it. "Ow!"

"Wonderful, Soph," said Harry, clapping, "Break your wrist getting out of bed."

"Oh, shut up," I said, trying both to not smile, and not cry.

"What happened in your nightmare?" Harry asked, "Soph, we both know how important nightmares could end up being."

"Harry, I'm just..." Trying not to smile became easy, but the crying part became hard. "In my nightmares, I watch Dad and Sirius die every night. I see you be brave and chase Bellatrix every night. I see me fall to the ground, crying, being a coward, every night."

"You aren't a coward, Sophie," said Harry, "You didn't run after her because you're smarter than me."

"I didn't run after her because I was scared!" I said, unaware I was yelling, "I was scared for my life!"

"You should've been," said Harry, "After all, if you had done anything, your secret would've been blown." He did have a point. If I charged after Bellatrix, the Dark Lord would suspect me of being a spy; it's the truth, of course, but he can't know it.

"....Whatever," I said, not wanting to talk about it anymore, "I'm getting dressed, so if I were you, I'd leave."

Harry ran out of the room.

I put on my favorite shirt, jean shorts, and heels, and walked to the stairway. Deciding the heels wouldn't cut it, I carried them down in my hand and put them back on when I got down. Along the way, I used the wrap I always kept on me more recently and wrapped up my left fore-arm. I had enough stairs and wrap left, and, since one arm would look odd, wrapped the other. Everyone was crowded around the breakfast table, discussing something. Ron laughed, Harry smiled, Hermione nodded, and Ginny stated her agreement quietly.

"Did I miss something?" I asked the group.

"No," said Mr. Weasley, "We're just discussing the rules at Diagon Alley."

"We're going to Diagon Alley?" I said.

"Yep," said Ginny.

"If you didn't sleep so late, you'd know," said Ron.

"Sleep so late?" I said, raising an eyebrow, "It's seven o' clock in the morning! How early do you wake up?!"

All the Weasleys except Ginny laughed, and she mouthed, "Five o' clock."

I guess they were waiting to eat with me, because no one had eaten anything yet. I sat down and breakfast commenced.

"Now that we've all eaten," said Mr. Weasley, "Go brush your teeth."

"Oh, and Sophie, Dear?" said Mrs. Weasley.

"Yes, Ma'am?" I asked, stopping dead when she called me. No way was I making her mad.

"I suggest putting on some clothes," she replied, smiling, "Way too much skin right now, Dear, way too much skin."

I rolled my eyes and, once again removing the heels, hiked up the stairs and went into Percy's room. This time I grabbed jeans that were cut off at the knees, a black tanktop, and made my hair medium length, green-yellow, and spikey. Also, not wanting to risk it, I switched the heels for purple high-tops. I went to find a bathroom to brush my teeth, and met a line.

After everyone who was coming was ready, we set off. Those who came were me, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and Ginny. When we got there, Hermione, Ron, Hagrid (who came to be our protection), and I split from Ginny, Mrs. and Mr. Weasley, and went to go see Fred and George's new joke shop. On the way, we passed Madam Malkin's Robe Shop, and my friends had to stop, if only because Draco and Aunt Narcissa were inside.

"Watch where you stick that pin, will you!" Draco shouted.

We walked in, and Draco added, "If you're wondering what that smell is, mother, a Mudblood just walked in."

Moments later, Harry was going back and forth with Aunt Narcissa, and then they left, not wanting to shop at the same place as this "scum". I followed them out a little way, telling Hagrid I'd be right back.

"Not even going to say hi to me?" I asked of them.

"You ought not to be seen with those people, Sophia," said Narcissa sternly, "If anyone saw you-.."

"She's with them all the time, Mother," said Draco, who must've known he was doing something wrong in saying that, because he wouldn't meet my eyes.

"You are?!" she said to me, "Sophia those aren't good people!"

"Not good people?" I asked, tilting my head to the side, "Why not?"

"The Potter boy..." said Narcissa, "A Mudblood..."

"And a Weasley!" Draco finished.

"Don't call her that!" I couldn't help but protest.

"Sophia!" said my aunt, "We will call a Mudblood a Mudblood because it's what she is!"

"B-but she's my friend," I said, "and I don't like you calling my friends names."

"Go back to your 'friends', Sophia," said Narcissa, "They're waiting for you. We shall see you later." I knew they wouldn't say another word to me, so I turned and walked away.

"Well, there yeh are," said Hagrid, "We was gettin' ready to go lookin' for yeh. C'mon, and stick close to meh. The joke shop's close."

When we arrived we saw a building that blew away our wildest imaginations by miles. A familiar face stood just outside the door, wand strapped to her thigh. I couldn't help but smile.

"Julie!" I said, and embraced my cousin (who seemed much fonder of me than another cousin of mine at the moment).

"Hey guys!" said Julie, with her American accent, "Coming to see the shop?"

"No, Julie," said Ron sarcastically, "We came to stand outside and face the other way."

"Then let me help you!" Juliet said, spinning him around so fast he nearly fell over.

"Errrrrrr," said Ron dazily, "Thank you."

"Go on in, guys," said Julie with a laugh. She let Harry, Ron, and Hermione enter, but stopped me.

"What, Julie?" I asked, "What could it possibly be?"

"You must be this tall to enter," she said, holding her hand three good inches off of my head.

"Oh, come on, Juls!" I whined, "Quit making fun of me!" She loved running on the fact that she was six-foot, two-inches and I was five-foot, three inches. Just because her dad's so tall, planes hit him in the face....

"Fine, you can come in," said Julie with a wink, "And don't hestitate to ask Fred or George if you can't reach a shelf."

My eyes grew huge. My breath left me, and it took my words with it. The shop was the most amazing thing I had ever seen.

"Wonderful, isn't it?" said George, who I didn't hear creep up behind me, so naturally I jumped a little.

"Simply stunning," said Fred, next to his brother, "Don't you think?"

"I'll let you know when my lungs work," I said, catching my breath.

"Ahh, George," said Fred, "Another amazed customer."

"Job well done, Fred," George replied, shaking his brothers hand.

"Oh, stop patting youselves on the back," I said, laughing. Naturally, they started literally patting each others back, so as not to pat their owns. I added, "Y'know what? Ron's my favorite."

"Ron did wha?" said Ron, who was passing by.

"You're my favorite Weasley," said I, giving Fred and George a smug smirk.

Ron smiled, and said, "Good. You're my favorite in your family, too. Then again, everybody hates mostyour relatives."

"Whipe that smirk off your face, Soph," said George, "It's creepy."

"Yeah, y'look like your aunt," Fred agreed.

"Eeeeeeew!" I said, no longer smiling.

"Aw, we're only foolin' with ya!" said Fred.

"Yeah, just messin'," George added.

"How much is this?" Ron asked the twins, changing the subject.

"Five galleons," said both.

"Well, yeah, for me?" Ron added.

"Five galleons," they repeated.

"But I'm your brother!" he protested.

"Ten galleons!" said Fred and George without a thought.

"Heh.. Nice one guys!" I said, holding up both my hands for high-fives. When they just stared at me, I added, "Leaving me hanging..." and lowered my hands.

"You're real odd, Soph," said Fred.

"Out-right weirdo," George agreed.

Soon it was time to say goodbye to Fred, George, and Julie, their "silent partner." She was, she told me, as important to the company as either of them, but preferred behind-the-scenes work. In any case, we left.

"I wonder who our teacher will be," I said once we were back at the Burrow, "I hope he or she's nice."

"His name's Slughorn," said Harry, "I went with Dumbledore to ask him to return to Hogwarts... He taught there when my parents went to school.."

I could've replied, "My parents went to school with your parents, idiot," but I didn't feel like it. Instead, I said, "What's he like?"

"Er..." said Harry, "Hard to discribe.. You'll see him at school."

"You're never any help," I sighed.

"Going to tell her what we saw, Harry?" Hermione asked, hinting strongly that I needed to know.

"Huh?" slipped through my teeth.

"We followed Malfoy to Borgin and Burke's," said Harry, "An-.."

"You followed Draco?!" I interupted, "You stalkers!"

"Shut up a minute, Sophie!" Ron said, "Let him finish."

"And he wanted to know how to fix something, have another one on hold at the store, and he threatened using Greyback as punishment if the guy didn't do as he wanted," Harry continued.

"And did you see him jump when Madam Malkin tried to pull up the left sleeve?" Ron asked.

"Is Draco a Death Eater now?" Harry asked, as if in summary of the whole story.

"Harry!" I exclaimed, shocked, "How can you accuse such major things of people?!"

"He's not accusing people," said Ron, "Only Malfoy."

"Is he or isn't he, Sophie?!" Harry demanded.

"I don't know!" I answered, as loud as his demand was, "Not that I'm aware of! I'm not told very much, as I'm not trusted! I'll be lucky to live as it is, I can't go asking!"

"You don't need to yell, Sophia," said Hermione sternly.

"Yes, Mum," I muttered, "Sorry, Mum."

The rest of August went slowly, with each day the same. I woke up (the same way), got dressed, ate breakfast, had to change, and basically just hoped someone would pop in and take me away. One day, I think the twenty-third of the month, I woke up and had an idea.

"I'm going," I said, walking towards the door.

"Going?" asked Molly, "Going where, Dear? You children can't go much anywhere alone right now. Not safe."

"Death Eater headquarters," I replied, sounding like it was no big deal.

"I don't think so!" said Mrs. Weasley.

"It's not like they'll eat me," I said, raising an eyebrow, "After all, I'm one of them, remember?"

"Well.. yes.. but." she said, searching for the right words, "It's.. You shouldn't.... Remus won't like it."

"He says he doesn't," I shrugged,"But I know he's proud."

"Pride and approval are different things, Sophia," said Mrs. Weasley.

"I know," I said seriously, "But if I don't turn up sometime, they're going to get suspitious, and these people attack first and ask questions later; they'll blow me to pieces."

"....Go, then," said she, with a nod, "We shouldn't have waited this long."

I took my leave via motorcycle (so good to have my own transportation), and drove up to Malfoy Mannor, a horribly creepy place I'd spent much of my childhood. I had always been taken over when Dad had to work, which was very often, and my regular babysitters were busy; Remus, Tonks, Severus, ect. I grew very close to Aunt Narcissa at a young age because what I craved was a mother, and she was so like Mum, at least in looks. Mum changed, like me and Tonks, but her face, she didn't play with. Her face looked like her twin despite the look Narcissa has always, seeming like she's just smelled someones socks.

Her eyes were different though... Her eyes were like mine. A brilliant, bright sky blue, and when the light hits, it looks like white clouds cross through.

In any case, I was now at the front door. Slightly afraid of what I'd find, I pounded on the front door. It opened nearly instantly, and, with my luck, who but Aunt Bellatrix could stand before me?

"Look, it's Sophie!" said Bellatrix happily. I hated to see her pleased, but said nothing. "Where've ya been, Sophie? Sara'd want you with her sisters all summer!"

"Technically," I said, "She was against all Death Eater function, but it's good to be here." As angry as I'd been seeing her at Severus' was about as equal to how calm I was now. It might've been so much worse at his home than here because I expected her here. Plus, I could keep my head when I wanted.

"Eeeeeh," said Bellatrix, "Good point. Fool, she was, wasn't she?"

"Yes," I agreed, not even having to lie. "She was."

"Well, don't stand out there!" said my aunt, "Come inside!" I did so, and she shut the door, yelling, "Cissy! Sophia's finally here!"

"Is she, now?" said Narcissa, walking over to us, her face warped with anger, which I knew was towards me. "Why, Sophia? Done playing with the Mudblood?"

"Aunt Cissy," said I, "You do realize I befriended the Mudblood at age eleven, right? I was unaware of her blood. If I stopped being her friend now, they'd grow suspitious."

"Well, yes, but..." she tried to reply, but couldn't find words.

"And when the Dark Lord takes over completely," said Bellatrix, "You can be the one to kill her!"

"I care nothing of that," I stated, turning away a little, "Why spend time on one Mudblood specifically when there's so many other ones out there?"

Again, Bellatrix said, "Eeeeeh."

"And anyway," said I, "We've got bigger eggs to crack, right?"

"Yes," said Narcissa with a smirking grin.

I proceeded with them through the Mannor, them informing me of almost everything; the one thing I didn't hear was about Draco being up to something, like Harry thought. After all, he may have hated Draco with a passion, but he wasn't stupid. He wouldn't create something like this out of nothing. In any case, we passed Severus in the hall.

"Hello, Sophia," said he, "I didn't expect to be seeing you. Could I have a word with you?"

Knowing he meant alone, I motioned Bellatrix and Narcissa away, and Severus and I found somewhere quiet with no one around.

"What are you doing here?!" said Severus.

I raised my sleeve to show the Mark and said, "Duh!"

"No!" Severus said, somehow shouting, yet in a whisper, "I mean why are you right now?! You should be with the Weasleys!"

"I figured if I stayed away much longer," I whispered, "Then they'd suspect something."

"Sophia..." was all my reply was. I knew what that meant. It meant, "You shouldn't be here! Go back where you're safe!"

"Severus...." which I meant, "I'm not safe anywhere anymore. It's not like this is dangerous."

"Go home, Sophia Jamison," said Severus. He liked using my last name. After all, he got used to it, since he had to at school.

"It's not Jamison anymore, actually," I said, smiling a little, "It'll be Lupin in a few days."

"How..?" he stuttered.

"I'm getting married to Remus, Severus," I said sarcastically, "What do you think? He's adopting me!"

Speechlessly, Severus stared at me. It was like he thought if I had a new father, he wouldn't my godfather anymore, so I reminded him that it cannot change.

"All right," said he, "But you need to go. Now."

"Fine," I said, "Make up some kind of excuse for me." With that, I left the Mannor, and rode away on the motorcycle.

When I arrived at the Burrow, I was quite scared. The lights were all off, and everything was silent. Cautiously, I went over to the door, and knocked.

I could tell you what I didn't hear: I didn't hear Mr. Weasley ask me a question. I didn't hear Mrs. Weasley's sweet and loving voice invite me in. I didn't hear the laughter which was deafening inside, and suprisingly loud, even on the outside of the house. I didn't hear the conversation that sometimes leaked through the kitchen window. I didn't hear anything at all.

I turned the knob, but it was locked. Did they leave? I thought to myself. I went over to an open window and called in, saying to let me in. My only listeners appeared to be a dark, empty room. I happened to look back at the doorknob, and it turned, then the door creaked open. I ran to the door as fast as I could to see who opened the door, but it seemed like it opened itself, because no one could've opened it and ran already, and no one apparates inside their own home.

Quite frightened, I walked inside. With each step, I heard whispers. Whispers that couldn't be heard from the outside. I got into the living room, and the lights all flickered on. Before me stood the Weasleys (minus Percy), Harry, Hermione, Remus, and Tonks, all smiling. Even the brown-haired Tonks was smiling, though her eyes couldn't hide the true sorrow behind them.

"What's with the smiles?" I asked of them, "You're starting to creep me out.." As if in response, Remus held a stack of papers in my view.

"Is that...?" I tried to say, but a strange happiness began welling up inside of me, stopping my speech.

"Sign here, and you're mine," said Remus, handing me the papers.

I pretended I needed to think about it for a minute, letting his paper-filled hand just stay there a moment, and his smile faded a little. "Do I sign as Jamison or Lupin?" I asked finally, "And does anyone have a pen?"

"Your name legally changed to Lupin as of yesterday," said Remus, "Sorry I didn't get over here to tell you.."

"Lupin it is then!" I said happily. I grabbed the pen sitting on a table about a foot from where I stood, and signed in my very best handwriting, "Sophia Lily-Joanna Lupin."

A few more boring days of summer passed, and then it was finally the first of September. I was sad to be leaving the Burrow, if only because I didn't get to finish going through all of Percy's things. Luckily, they said I could stay there again when we came for the holidays. Everything at the train station was a blur to me, as the only thing I could focus on was what the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher would be like, and what would happen to him.

On the train, Harry and I had to split from Hermione and Ron, who had prefect duties. We found a compartment with Luna, Neville, and a friend I hadn't seen since the night at the ministry; Jaymes Black. Jaymes was my third cousin, and she knew precisely about the grief I was feeling, because she, too, lost her father that night. Not that she knew him too well, as he spent most of her lifetime is Azkaban.

Sirius had been married once. His wife had been my mother's best friend ever since school. Her name was Diana, and she, like my mother, was three years younger than Sirius. They always fought, and got divorced, even before Jaymes' birth.

"Harry!" Jaymes called to us, "Sophie! Get your arses in here!"

"We're coming," I replied, not entertained by her enthusiasm.

After a long, boring (at least for me) conversation, a girl came with invitations from Professor Slughorn for Harry, Neville, and myself. Confused, and yet somewhat flattered, the boys and I left Jaymes and Luna to go see what was going on.

"Harry, m'boy!" said a chubby man with a bald head, "Good to see you, good to see you! And you must be Mr. Longbottom!" Nevilled nodded, and this man, I assumed he was Slughorn, turned to me and added, "That could only make you Miss Lupin."

"Yes sir, that's me," I said, smiling. I don't know what it was about him, but something just made me trust him so easily, which was something I'd been finding difficult recently.

Professor Slughorn started introducing us to the other students he had called here. Among them was Blaise Zabini, a boy from my house. Neville and Harry glared at him, and he glared at them. I waved. Also here were Cormac McLaggen and Marcus Belby. Belby I recognized, as his uncle was the man who invented Wolfsbane potion. A thing I was very greatful for, considering I had a few nights a month I had to choke it down.

"-and this charming yound lady tells me she knows you!" said he. Of course, he was referring to Ginny, who grimaced behind him. Again, I waved, but this time, I got a wave back.

After we all sat down and he had food out, as we were picnicing, he started asking us about our famous relatives. He asked Belby about the uncle I mentioned in my narration. After Belby, he asked about McLaggen's uncle Tiberius. Next came Zabini, but I didn't listen to what his relative was famous for. Something about a beautiful mother. Whatever.

"How about you, Neville?" asked Slughorn, "How are those parents of yours?"

"Er.. good.." said Neville, "No different than usual..."

"Brave, they must be," said Slughorn, "Or at least were before the Death Eaters got there..."

"They were, I'm told," Neville replied uncomfortably.

With a face that said he wasn't deciding about Neville yet, he turned to me and said, "And here's the niece of the woman who did it, eh?" Instictively, I hid my face in my hands. I hadn't told Neville she was my aunt yet.

"It's all right," Slughorn added after an awkwardly silent moment, "I won't say anything more about it. What ever happened to your mother? I didn't see her at the train station... She seemed the kind who'd come to see you off."

"She, uh, died," said I, "twelve years ago..."

"That's horrible," said Slughorn, "How?"

"Technically, suicide," I replied solomnly, "Not that it was her fault... Aunt Bella Dearest gave her a hexed necklace, and it drove her insane."

"I'm very sorry, Sophia," said he, "I taught during her time at school, y'know. Wasn't the best in her class, but she honestly tried." I smiled a little, though I wasn't exactly my mothers biggest fan.

"And now," said Slughorn, speaking without waiting for a reply, and moving his arms like he was introducing the star of the show, "Hary Potter! Where do I begin? I barely scratched the surface when we met over the summer!"

I didn't really pay attention to the rest of the Potter Rant, as I fell asleep. I hadn't been sleeping well recently; Percy's bed was very lumpy. Next thing I knew, we were leaving. I didn't even remember waking up. Maybe I just walked away in my sleep. In any case, it didn't matter.

"Hey, guys?" I said, "I'm gonna go with Zabini... Gonna sit with my cousin." I knew Harry at least would protest, so I walked away before he could speak.

"What are you following me for, Jamison?" asked Zabini harshly.

"First thing," said I, "I'm not following you, I'm going to sit with my dear cousin, Draco. Secondly, my name's not Jamison. It's Lupin. I got adopted."

"...Whatever," he said, and I think he would've tried to get me lost had we not been to the compartment in which the Slytherins were sitting. I plopped myself beside Draco and fell asleep on his shoulder. If he protested, I didn't hear it.

It didn't matter I wasn't in any kind of bed, or even comfortable position, because I woke up screaming again. I didn't sweat like mad anymore, but I still screamed, my hair still went white, and I still had tears running along my cheeks.

"Sophie?" said Draco, very confused, fidgeting with his ear, which I had obviously screamed in, "Why'd you do that? I can't hear.."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Draco," I told him sincerely, "I-I've not been sleeping well.. Nightmares, you know.."

"It's all right," said he, with what for anyone else would be a frown, but for him, it was a smile, "Just next time, don't scream in my ear."

"I'll aim the other way," I said with a laugh.

"I was just about to wake you up, anyway," said Draco, "I started calling your name.."

"I heard it, I think," I replied, "I heard a faint, 'Sophieeeeeee!', but I thought it was, erm, someone in my dream."

"Well, anyway, we're here," said Draco, "You go on out, I'll be out in a minute. I want to check something."

"I'll wait for you outside," said I before walking away. How could Harry suspect such a sweet, innocent boy? Maybe he just hadn't seen this side of him. Honestly, I didn't know why Draco had to act like that around everybody else. When it was just me and him, he was the gentlest person I knew. I sighed to myself as I left Draco in the compartment, thinking about how misunderstood he was. I guessed he was just one of those people who acted however the people around him acted. He'd change after the Dark Lord fell, I told myself, even Uncle Lucius'll be better. I smiled, thinking of how everyone would get along. Weasley and Malfoy, arm-in-arm, inseperable. Ok, so my expectations were high, but it wasn't a crime to hope for the best, was it?

I stood outside, waiting for my cousin, thinking, what's he doing that's taking so long? Does he think I'm staying out here forever? My doubtful thoughts were interupted by his presence, and he was actually smiling. This smile would count as a smile for anyone, not just him; it was an out-right grin.

"Pleased with ourself, are we?" I asked.

"Maybe," said he with a smirk.

"Draco Q. Malfoy, if you don't tell me what you did.." I began.

"Q.? My middle inital isn't Q." said Draco, "And who says I did anything?"

"You're smiling," I said, "That can't be good."

"Maybe it's a new me," he said, wrapping an arm around me as we started walking towards the school.

"Ew!" I said with a laugh, pushing his arm down, then smacking the back of his head. "Freak."  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	3. Breakdown and Feuding

I sighed as I sat down at the Feast; it felt good to be back at school, where nothing could faze me. I could use my work to block out everything going on. I looked at the teacher's table; Severus sat, not really smiling, but not nessicarily frowning, either. As I grinned at him, he looked the other way. MgGonagall made eye-contact with me, but imidiately, I broke it. She never liked me, as I hardly pass Transfiguration. God only knows how I managed to scrape an "E" on O.W.L.s.

"I can't believe it!" complained a familiar blonde sitting two chairs from MgGonagall, "They made me ride with the first years in the boats! And they splashed me! They said it was 'fun to splash the blonde girl!'"

"Lola," said the brown-haired Juliet, in the middle, "I have a confession; I paid them to do it." She poked her tongue out the corner of her mouth.

"You're horrible, Juls," said Lola, punching her twin in the arm. "Just horrible."

"Yes, I know," said Julie, "But I don't regret it; best three galleons each ever!"

I laughed at my American cousins as my eyes drifted to Gryffindor table. I saw my other cousin, Chris, sitting in the seats usually belonging to Fred and George. I ventured he was saying he'd be the new prankster around here. Once again, Chris had taken on too much. He was very much like my father, who worked about three jobs, not because we needed the money, but because he loved them. The first, of course, being magic. Helping the Ministry and that sort of thing. Second was his law firm. He didn't go to Law School after Hogwarts for nothing. The third and final job wasn't his to begin with; He ran the Orphanedge my mother had spent so much effort into bringing to life. Sara's Home for Twins, as it was named, was created so twins wouldn't be separated in the adoption process. I suppose twins were important to her, considering she was one. A tear rolled down my cheeks as I thought of my parents.

Next I let my eyes drift to Draco, who sat beside me. He smiled, but obviously wanted me to quit staring. I rolled my eyes and looked away.

I looked up at Dumbledore, who, despite a horrible thing that surely happened to his hand, looked as powerful, as magestic, as ever. Albus Dumbledore was the strongest man I knew, without a doubt, and as long as he was here, I was safe. Even if the Death Eaters found out about me, I was safe with Dumbledore. The Ministry would be no help, obviously. I didn't even count as human anymore. I, along with Remus, was in the "Beast" category, as it had been. I felt it was wrong to have to change what I am after all these years of being human. About a year ago was when it happened. It was summer. Harry had just tied the Triwizard Tournament with Juliet, who had been Champion from the American school in Salem. The Dark Lord had just returned.

_"Remus, wait up!" a fifteen-year-old me said, "I've got short legs!"_

_"Maybe you should grow a little, then," Remus teased. I stuck my tongue out at him._

_"Maybe I'm perfect sized," I shot back, "And you all need to shrink."_

_"Yes, that's logical," said Remus sarcastically, "The error isn't in one person, but the rest. Marvelous job, Sophia."_

_"I know, it's a gift," I laughed. I kept walking, not paying attention; unaware he had stopped until I walked into his back. "What the heck, man!?" I added in protest._

_"Shh," Remus whispered, "Don't speak, and don't move.." I did as I was told, and stood perfectly still, hidden behind my godfather._

_"Well, if it isn't Remus John Lupin," said a terrifying voice unknown to me, "How are you doing?"_

_"Do I know you?" Remus asked of this man who I could not see._

_"Do you know me?!" He shrieked in laughter, "You don't remember?"_

_"No," said Remus cautiously, "Should I?"_

_"I'd say so!" the man replied, "Do you think you are what you are for nothing?!"_

_"I... don't follow," Remus said, confused._

_"Oh, come on, Boy!" said this cruel, husky voice of a man, "How do you think you got those scars?"_

_"You...?!" Remus sputtered, trying to hold in his real rage, for he knew if he moved even to draw his wand, I'd be seen behind him._

_"The name's Fenrir Greyback," stated the man, "Perhaps you've heard of me." Instead of replying, Remus focused his energy on not drawing his wand, so he added, "Sorry it had to be that way, but your father displeased me, and you tasted so good.."_

_"Displeased you?!" Remus repeated, understanding fully what this monster was saying. I couldn't stop myself from leaning just a little ways out to the side to look at this cruel creature standing before us. After all, what could just a little bit hurt?_

_His features were wolflike, most likely caused by giving into his wild-side every full moon. Eyes that almost made a person want to die, then and there. His hair looked thick and hard, just as the fur on a wolf. My God, what a horrible sight he was._

_"Hey, who's that you've got behind you?" said Greyback, and I had been spotted. "Is that a little girl? Did you bring me a snack?"_

_"I most certainly didn't!" said Remus instantly. I tried to hide behind him again, but it was too late. The moon came out from behind a cloud, and there stood a werewolf before me. Remus, of course, had taken his wolfsbane that evening. Claws and teeth came at me, and then, I knew nothing._

_The next thing I could recall was St. Mungos. I woke up, half-consious, having trouble listening to Remus talking to the healer. I heard something about, "Put her down," to which Remus erupted with anger, his faced distorted with his own horrible memories from when this had happened to him._

_"R-Remus?" I stuttered, "Wh-what happened?"_

_"You got hurt, Sophie," he whispered to me, "Greyback hurt you.. Y-you're... like me now.."_

_"L-like you..?" I tried to understand, "What does that-..."_

_"You're a werewolf, Sophia," Remus said in a low tone. Remorse obviously filled his voice, and tears slid down his face, "I'm so sorry."_

_"I'm a-a werewolf?" I asked. I didn't understand, as my brain was having trouble, "H-how?"_

_"Greyback bit you," said Remus bitterly, "Just like he bit me when I was young."_

_I looked at my hands, they were thoroughly bloody, to which Remus added, "Considering you didn't use your wand, you put up a good fight."_

_"Wh-where's Dad?" I asked, noticing the emptiness of the room; it was just me and Remus. "Where's everybody?"_

_"Your father's busy, Sophia," said Remus solomnly, "That's why you were with me this summer to begin with. I don't know who you mean by 'everybody', but most of the people we know haven't been told yet."_

_"Well," I said positively, "A-at least I know how to make wolfsbane." He hugged me tightly, and told me I was brave. However many times he said it, I still knew he was wrong. The brave face I wore was a mask, and inside, I was sobbing._

Not knowing, or caring, how I got to this memory, I silently let a few tears run down my cheeks. This memory that I had locked away for so long, now resurfacing. I noted to myself that my father was absent in this major moment in my life; he was absent in most of them. I felt horrible about it, yes, but I still thought of it just the same.

"Sophie?" Draco said, bringing me back to reality, and out of my horrible memories, "Are you okay?"

I couldn't speak. I could hardly breathe. All I could do was, first, hug my cousin, and second, cry. Many people stared at me, but I couldn't have cared less.

"Errr...." Draco stuttered, not knowing what to say and patting my back awkwardly, "There, there?"

"Excuse me," said Professor MgGonagall, holding the sorting hat above some first-year, as if she was about to place it, "You're interupting the sorting, Miss Lupin. If something is the matter, please consult your head-of-house imediately." Draco walked me up to Severus, who took me to his office.

"What is going on, Sophia?" asked Severus once we were alone. Just as with Draco, I couldn't speak. I cried and pulled my arms around Severus. He added, "You need to speak to me."

"I-I can't do it a-anymore, Severus!" I sobbed pathetically, just letting everything out, "I-It's too hard... It hurts t-too much.."

"Are you referring to being a Death Eater spy," said he, "Or just living in general?"

"Both," I said, still crying. "I-I need Dad... I n-need Sirius..."

"They will only be gone from you when you stop believing they loved you," Severus said. His confidence in his own words shined, despite how awkward he was feeling.

"Dad didn't love me," I said plainly, "H-he was too busy to even know me. A-and Sirius... He loved m-me because I'm S-Sara's daughter.."

"Your father would hate to hear you speak with such an ill tongue," said Severus, very defensive for his lost best friend, "He gave you everything he could and this is the thanks he receives?"

"I didn't mean to-..." I stared, but Severus cut me off.

"You didn't mean to. That makes it no better, Sophia," said he, "I suggest you pay him some respect."

"Severus, I'm not trying to be disrespectful!" I protested loudly, nearly shouting, "I pay him all the respect in the world!"

"Then show it." said Severus finally, "If you are done crying, and can keep quiet for sorting, I suggest we return to the Great Hall."

"I-I'm not going back in there," I said, as tears once again flooded my eyes, "I can't do it."

"Why not?" asked Severus, "Is something else bothering you?"

I nodded and tried to swallow the lump in my throat. "I-I'm scared.."

"Of what?" was his entire response.

"Wh-what if I'm found out?" I asked, sobbing again, "I-I know n-nobody's gonna protect me e-except maybe Draco o-or Aunt N-Narcissa..."

"Sophia, listen to me closely," said Severus seriously, "If you are consious of the risks while you're around them, they suspect more. If you convince yourself you're one of them, if only while you're around them, they won't know a thing."

"B-but what if..." I had to whisper the final part; "What if someone tells?"

"If you've only told those you trust the most," he replied, "No one would dare tell."

I nodded, gaining a little more confidence in those I've entrusted. "Do we have to go back in there?"

"I suppose not," said Severus with a sigh, "We can sit in here until afterwards."

"Oh, wonderful!" I said, smiling, and embracing him. Having a godfather was such a good thing.

We sat there, just talking, heart-to-heart. Equals. Such a good man, was Severus. I sat there, half-listening, and half-thinking to myself about how wonderful he was. Some people would take this the wrong way, but I've known him since I was born, so it wasn't in any way romantic. I had thought of him once before in that way, but I was five, and I'd taken a mouthful of the strongest of love-potions. Not the funnest of memories. In any case, that's how it was, until after the dinner was over, when he motioned me away. I smiled at him and took my leave.

I saw Harry, who had been absent at the sorting as well as I had, in the hallway. He had blood on his face.

"Harry?" I asked, suprised at the dried blood, not that he wasn't always somehow injured. Just because he was the Boy-Who-Lived didn't make him the Boy-Who-Doesn't-Bleed, "Is that your blood? What happened?"

"I tell you what happened!" Harry shouted at me, furious, "Your damn git cousin, that's what!"

"What are y-.." I started.

"I'm talking about on the train!" fumed Harry, "He stayed behind to investigate me in the compartment!"

"How'd you know he was staying behi-..." I said, but was again cut off.

"I was under my damn invisibilty cloak!" Harry angrily replied, "He heard me or something! He blasted me, moved my cloak, and then stomped on my face!"

"....Why were you in the Slytherin compartment?" was all I could ask. I didn't say anything about how out-of-line Draco was.

"So you're siding with him?!" Harry accused. His words cut like daggers, "Fine! I don't care! I don't want you around, anyway! You're probably just telling Voldemort everything we say! Whose side are you on, Sophie?!"

The accusations Harry had just brought into the conversation stung too sharply to pass off as simple anger towards Draco being unleashed on me; this meant he had been thinking it privately, telling no one.

Unless Hermione and Ron knew.

Of course. They all must've been in agreement. They thought I'd changed. They thought I'd gone to the other side.

"Harry, how could yo-..!?" I said, tears stinging my eyes.

"How could I, what, Sophie?!" Harry interupted, "Know the truth? We aren't stupid!"

We. They did know.

"Y'know what, Potter?!" I said, trying not to break into tears, "You're a foul git, to be accusing me of these things! Don't you know I'm ready to die for you?! For Hermione and the Weasleys and Remus and Tonks?! All of them! I'd die right now if it helped!"

"If you're on Voldemorts side," said Harry coldly, "You might as well just go ahead and die."

That set me off. "Damn it, Potter! I'm trying to help you! If you don't want me, if you want me dead, then maybe I'll just die!" I ran away, angry, and yet in tears.

I ran into the girls bathroom, in which, Hermione was just leaving. "Oh, Sophia!" said Hermione happily, then she frowned, "What's wrong?"

"Y-you bloody well know what's wr-wrong!" I shouted, tears blurring my version and judgement.

"I do?" Hermione said, confused, "Could you, er, remind me, then?"

"Don't a-act like you don't know!" I said, practically screaming at her, "You and Ron and that damn Potter boy s-sure know how to stab a girl in the back!" I said that. It came out of my mouth. And yet the harsh, feelingless voice who spoke sounded unfamiliar, even to me.

"Sophie, what are you talking about?" said she, as innocent as she sounded.

"You a-all think I'm a Death Eater!" I yelled, no longer really crying as I let anger block out my sorrow, "Damn it, Granger! You think I'm like them! A real Death Eater!"

"I don't think that at all, Sophie!" Hermione tried to protest, "Neither does Ron."

"Oh, not denying it's what Potter thinks?" I asked loudly, "Must be because I'm right, huh?"

When she didn't reply, I demanded, "Do you defend me? Defend me to him the way you're defending Weasley to me?"

Hermione paused a minute, obviously shocked at the question. "Of course I do!" she said when she finally spoke.

"Took you a minute to reply, Granger," I said, "Have to think up a sincere enough sounding lie?"

"Sophie!" Hermione gasped, "How could you think... You're practically my sister!"

"No, Granger, I'm not practically your sister," I snapped, "If I was your sister, you'd do a hell of a lot better job defending me!"

"I defend you as I would a sister!" she said quickly, not even pausing after I finished my sentence.

A thought whisped through my mind, and I heard, in the voice of Bellatrix, _"C'mon, Little Sophie. Do it. Call her Mudblood."_

"I-I won't do it!" I replied to the voice. I knew this wasn't Legilimency, or even any spell; it was me, just using her voice.

_"You ought to!"_ said Bellatrix in my mind, _"After all, it's what she is; she deserves it."_

"Sh-she's my best friend!" I shouted, grabbing my head.

"Sophie?" Hermione asked, concerned deeply.

_"Do it! Make Aunt Bella proud!"_ she beckoned in my brain.

"I won't!" I screamed, "Get out of my.. head!" I fell to the ground on my knees, wrestling inside with this urge to be a real Slytherin.

_"She's a Mudblood!"_

"She's just muggleborn! It means nothing!"

_"It means everything!"_

"No!"

Deeply breathing, the fight was over; I beat my inner Black. Hermione put her hand on my shoulder caringly, and smiled at me. She knew I wasn't mad at her; I could never be mad at her.

"Harry's such a prat," I said finally.

"He can be sometimes," she agreed, "But only because he's worried. He doesn't want anyone else to... y'know..."

"He doesn't want anyone to what, Hermione?" I asked, "Die?"

She nodded, so I said, "Hermione, he told me to die. He said I might as well just die."

"That doesn't sound like Harry at all," said Hermione, as shock ripped across her face.

"Yeah, well," I said, sort of coldly, "Harry doesn't sound like Harry anymore..."

"Well, let's get out of here," she said, patting my back, "We should both be getting to our dormitories."

I hugged my friend goodbye and went down to Slytherin Common Room. Everyone else was already in their respective places, but I dared not go up to the girls room, as none of them got along with me too well. In fact, the only Slytherin who liked me at all was Draco. Instead, I just let myself fall onto the couch, curled up, and rummaged through my bags, looking for my two-way mirror. Much like the ones James and Sirius had when they were young, I kept mine with me at all times, in case I needed to contact the holder of its pair; Remus. I turned it on, and was somewhat suprised at what I found.

He must've had the mirror on a table or something, as all I could see was his ceiling. Dispite this lack of picture, I heard two recognizeable voices; one of Remus, one of Tonks.

"Remus, I don't care!" Tonks said in reply to something I hadn't heard. Her voice told me she'd been crying, or maybe still was.

"But I do, Nymphadora," said Remus, obviously trying to finish the conversation.

"Give me a chance, please!" Tonks begged.

"I can't," Remus said, sounding final, "I'm sorry."

"No, you aren't," said Tonks tearfully, "Sophie said you loved me. And I love you! Why do you have to be this way?"

"Sophia has been saying too much," Remus replied, "This is how it must be. I truly am sorry. Perhaps if things were different, it would change, but it can't."

Tonks sniffled, then said, "...You're mirror's on."

Remus walked over to it, and I saw him pick up the mirror as he said, "Sophia, what are you doing?" He noticed my puffy, red eyes. "Is everything all right?"

"I'm... not sure," I said, "What's going over there? I heard Tonks."

"W-wotcher, Soph," said Tonks, trying to fake a smile since I could see her now. Her hair was gray. Still.

"Have you been crying, Sophie?" Remus asked tenderly.

"Yes," I said honestly, "Practically constantly, but that's beside the point. Are you still being an idiot, Remus?"

"I'm not being an idiot!" Remus protested.

Tonks mouthed, "Yes."

"Why have you been crying?" Remus asked, obviously preferring to discuss my problems than his own.

"Why have you been stupid?" I asked in response. I was hoping to make Tonks laugh, or at least smile, but I didn't.

"Sophia..." was Remus' reply, "You didn't call to talk about me. What's going on?"

"Fine, then, we'll talk about me," I said, "Harry told me to die."

"Harry did?" Remus tried to comprehend, "Why?" I told him about everything Harry and I had said.

"Oh, right," said Tonks, "Good thing I found him on the train.." He didn't mention to me that Tonks had been the one to find him.

"Well, Sophia," said Remus, "Being a spy means having people who doubt you on both sides. I suppose you just didn't expect Harry to be one of those people."

"Of course I didn't!" I said, almost snapping, "Would you have thought, if you were a spy, that James would suspect you of turning? It's just the same!"

"I understand you're upset, Soph," said Tonks firmly, "But don't take it out on Remus."

"Sorry," I said, "I'm just crazy with rage right now... Stupid Potter!"

"No need for name-calling, Sophia," said Remus seriously. "But I see your point."

"Thank you!" I said, sort of relieved by his understanding, "It's about time somebody did!"

"As for now, you should be getting to sleep," Remus said, then added, "We all should be getting to sleep." I think the last part was more of a hint he wanted Tonks to leave.

"Whatever," I said, "G'night!" I put the mirror in my bag, but didn't turn it off. I waited unstead until about twenty minutes later, when Tonks, after another few rounds of arguement with Remus, finally left. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The next morning, I got up from the couch in the Common Room where I'd fallen asleep, got dressed, brushed me teeth; the usual. My hair was a bit messier than usual, but I didn't care; my major relief was that, for the first time in a long time, I hadn't woken up screaming. By the dream I'd had that night, if I'd've been screaming, it would've been because it ended. It was odd, and it re-awakened thoughts I hadn't had since my third year: thoughts of Percy Weasley. True, I spent most of my first, second, and third years fancying him, but I was over that now. I'd even dated someone else during fourth and fifth, ending if only hours before the episode at the Ministry. My ex-boyfriend, Lee Jordan, hadn't taken it so well.

In any case, that was how it was. I'd dreamed of seeing myself with Percy. Maybe it was just something about staying in his room and looking through his things that made me dream oddly. I knew I was probably much too young for his tastes. After all, I was only sixteen, and he was, what, twenty now? I sighed, thinking of how brutally he'd reject me if I did anything. But wait, I didn't like him! Did I? I was so confused. And besides, even if I fancied him again, which I wasn't sure I did, didn't he still have a girlfriend? Penelope Clearwater? Never liked her.

And yet, in his Hogwarts album, he had written, "Beautiful eyes. Wish she was older." Does that mean if I had been born just a few years earlier, things would be different? Argh. I didn't want to think about this; after all, he was Ron's brother. Ron's annoying, git older brother. He'd hate me if I tried anything.

How did I get to this subject again? I shook myself clear of all these thoughts and left the Common Room, escaping to an early breakfast. Sure, everything was set up, as it was after six thirty, but no one usually came down until around seven thirty. I suppose the food stayed warm all that time with magic.

After my, I thought, well-earned breakfast, I excused myself to the Quidditch field. Not that I could do anything, since there's no possible way to Keep without someone to be Chaser. I sighed, and fled to the Potions class room; true, it was seven in the morning, and not even Severus was here yet, but this room was where I grew up; where I belonged.

"Miss Lupin?" asked a somewhat familiar voice, and I spun around. Professor Slughorn stood before me with a quite confused expression.

"Professor Slughorn?" I asked, doing that little head-tilt I tend to do, "What are you doing here?"

"Preparing the Potions lesson, Dear!" Slughorn boomed, "The question is why you're in my classroom."

"I'm-.." I started, then had to think, "Wait.. Your classroom? Severus is Potions Master.."

"Oh, no one told you?" said Slughorn, "He's teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts now."

"...Wha?!" I sputtered.

"Well, go ahead and take a seat; everyone else will be here in about fourty-five minutes."

That lesson was very odd, once everyone arrived. The-Boy-Who-Wouldn't-Kick-The-Bucket was somehow creating the potion faster than I; never had I once been beaten at anything Potions related! After a few moments of thinking between steps, as each step was wrong in some way, I knew I'd done everything right, but he finished before me! No way could he have known what he was doing, could he?

After Potions for me was free period. I had a lot of those, as I was only taking about six classes. I knew exactly what I was doing with this break. Severus had a break this hour, as well.

I pounded on his office door, and kept pounding a moment after he opened it.

"Ow?" he said.

"What the hell, Severus?!" I yelled after I invited myself inside.

"Watch your mouth on school grounds, Sophia," Severus scolded.

"You're teaching D.A.D.A?!" I demanded.

"Yes," said he with a smirk, "Slughorn's a quite quailified Potions teacher. He's the man who taught me, after all."

"You know what happens to the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher!" I said loudly, choking up. The urge to fight back tears caused my voice to lower to a whisper. "Bad things!"

"You are over-reacting," Severus said, as if he thought it would calm me down.

"You're under-reacting!" I protested, folding my arms acrossed my chest.

"Oh, don't throw a tantrum," he said plainly, "You're much too old for that."

"Maybe I wanna throw a tantrum," I replied, poking out my bottom lip.

"Sophia, I will be fine teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts," Severus said, "After all, I am an adult. I can take care of myself."

"No you can't! You need me to tell you when you're being stupid!" I said, then pulled his robes to get him down to my eye-level. "You're being stupid!"

"Sophia, this is quite enough; now go get ready for your next class," said Severus, obviously trying to rid himself of me.

"My next class is..." I consulted my schedule, "Oh, what do you know? Defence Against the Dark Arts. I hope you don't plan on me having a career."

"What do you mean?" said he, "Why shouldn't I plan on it? We both know you're getting whatever career you want."

"Oh, nothing," I said with a smirk. "Nothing at all..."  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	4. Fists, Falls, and Failing Grades

In D.A.D.A., I executed my newly hatched plan. It was risky, oh, very risky, but it would have to get some attention. It would be worth it to have Severus resign and get his Potions job back. After all, I swore to myself I'd protect the rest of my loved ones at any cost, including my own life. Not that this would get me killed. After D.A.D.A., Severus approached me with a smirk. I wondered if he knew about my plan.

"Sophia?" Severus said, once he caught up to me. Stupid short legs... "Have you always been that horrible in Defence Against the Dark Arts? Such a shame."

My heart sank; he didn't even see my plan going into action! He didn't even notice! Every incorrect spell, every wrong jinx, every failed attempt. Each were in vain; he couldn't see I was doing it purposely!

"Guess I'm just horrible," I said quietly before walking away as fast as possible. Apparantly not watching where I was going, I bumped into my cousin. He scootched back a little, but being so much bigger than me, I was the one who fell back.

"Hey, watch where you're going, Malfoy!" I shouted, of course joking.

"I was watching!" Draco snapped back with humor, "I watched you walk right into me, clutz! God, you're stupid."

I just laughed, and he helped me up. "Where y'headed?" I asked, smiling at him.

"Oh, no where," he replied, then took off. I wondered what he was up to, but just kept walking. I was late for Transfiguration, after all.

When I got there, I saw a frowning MgGonagall, accompanied by a smiling Julie. I opened my mouth to speak, but MgGonagall pointed to my seat and said, "Sit, Miss Lupin. Next time you're late, you will receive a detention."

"Yes, Ma'am," I said, taking my seat.

"All right, students," said the lady Professor, "Now that we're all here, I can begin. First thing I would like to say is that I have a new helper, Juliet."

"It's Professor Volven to you kiddies," said Julie, beaming.

"She will be assisting us in our classes," said MgGonagall, "But she is the primary teacher of our first and second years this year."

My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. Julie saw this and added, "Oh what ever is the matter, Miss Lupin? Suprised I got a real job?"

I just nodded my head.

"Yeah, so was I!" Julie laughed, "But you better be good to me; I can give you detention now!" she laughed an evil laugh.

"I'm scared," I whispered to whoever it was sitting next to me.

"That's nice," the person whispered back.

"No whispering during class," MgGonagall said sternly, and my neighbor glared at me.

The next two weeks of classes went about the same. I purposely screwed up Potions, which perplexed Slughorn, as I did so well the first day, ran around doing nothing for half an hour, did everything wrong in Defence Against the Dark Arts, got glared at by MgGonagall while Julie laughed at me, and then I had Care of Magical Creatures. Ron, Hermione, and the Potter boy may have dropped Hagrid's class, but no way was I; my third favorite class! Hagrid didn't like them being gone, but I knew I couldn't fill that void. After that was Charms, a class I was decent at, though Chris was much better than me. Finally came Divination. Why I continued taking it, I didn't know; it was just fun, I guess. Trelawney was as crazy as ever, but she, too, had a new assistant; Lola. Wonderul influence on her, Trelawney was. At least Firenze was cool.

Anyway, it was the first day of the third week, and I was going to Severus' office. I hadn't been sent there, but all classes were done, and I needed someone to yell at. He always let me vent. About fifty feet in front of me was Slughorn, who, oddly, was taking each turn I was. Eventually, he arrived at Severus' office, knocked, and was let in. I'd've sworn I heard him say, "It's about one of your students." Curiousity was too much, so I had to run over and press my ear to the door.

"Well, what is it?" Severus asked. "What's going on?"

"Well, you see, it's about a student from your house," Slughorn began, "It's Miss Lupin. I'm afraid she just isn't very good at Potions."

Severus snickered, then said, "Surely you're joking. Sophia has always been excellent in Potions; top of her class every year."

"I'm not joking, Severus," he replied seriously, "She did marvelous the first day, but has been getting everything wrong since, like she's putting everything in backwards."

I fought myself to keep back a laugh; that was exactly what I had been doing.

"She'd never do anything of the sort!" Severus replied, shocked, "Are you suggesting she's failing on purpose?"

"Possibly," Slughorn replied honestly, "She's sixteen. Why would she want to fail?"

"Perhaps you aren't teaching her right," Severus said coldly.

"Severus!" said Slughorn, taken by suprise at this accusation, "You say my teaching is incorrect? I taught you, boy!"

"I'm meerly suggesting you try a different approach with her," Severus replied calmly, "She's not like other students, Horace; she needs to feel the teacher is her friend. Honestly, it works."

I stomped my foot down outside. Stupid Severus was so oblivious! He obviously heared me, as he asked of no one in particular, "What was that?"

Slughorn opened the door, and I stood there, mute. "It would appear to be just the girl of the hour!" said he.

"I, erm, have somewhere to b-..." I started, but Severus cut me off.

"Sophia, come in." He commanded. "Now."

I did as I was told, and plopped myself down in his chair. "Errrr.... Wotcher?"

"Sophia, what is going on?" Severus demanded, "You're failing not only Defence Against the Dark Arts, but Potions, your best subject? What's the matter with you?"

"It's as Slughorn said!" I spat, "I'm doing it all on purpose!"

"Why on Earth would you do that?" Slughorn asked.

"To get Severus to stop teaching D.A.D.A.!" I said, "He's the Potions Master! This is a protest!"

"Sophia!" Severus scolded, "Don't put your future in jeopardy as a childish protest!"

"It isn't childish!" I spat back, "It's important! You're risking your life!" I tried to fight back tears, but one got out. "I can't loose you!"

"You aren't going to," he said, putting one, big hand on my shoulder.

"I'm not taking that risk," I said, looking up at him. "Can't do it."

"I'm sorry, Sophia," said Severus solonmly, "But you'll have to; it's not your choice."

I hung my head and left wordlessly. Draco bumped into me in the hallway, and I smiled at him. "Wotcher, Draco."

"Soph, just who I needed!" he said, then grabbed my wrist and dragged me out of the hallway.

"What the hell, Draco?!" I asked.

"I need your help," Draco said finally.

"With what, y'dunce?" I questioned.

"I need you stand guard outside the room of requirement for me," he said, "Every day. And you can't come inside."

"Why?" I had to ask.

"I can't tell you," he replied.

"You can't tell me?" I repeated, "You tell me everything!"

"I know, but this is different," said Draco.

"What's going on, Draco?" I asked again. "I'm not helping anything if you don't tell me."

"I can't, Soph!" Draco said, "It's, y'know, secret? I can tell you this; it's very important."

A sinking feeling kicked in as I realized what could possibly be so important; I reached up and pulled up his left sleeve. Sure enough, there was the Dark Mark on the pale skin of his arm.

"Draco! T-tell me you d-didn't..."

"I did!" he said, pleased with himself.

"...Say it's fake. Say it's not real!" I said, tears welling up and escaping my eyes as I grabbed the collar of his shirt and shook him. "Tell me!"

"It isn't!" said he, "It's as real as the any other Death Eaters!"

"Don't say that!" I hissed, "Don't say 'any other'! You aren't one of them!"

"What, you can be one, but I can't?" This question stung me with the intensity he had meant to use. I looked him over before replying; he looked so much like his father.

"It's different for me, and you know it," I replied. Of course I told him I was a spy, and of course I trusted him. "You've got parents to worry about!"

"Parents he's going to kill if I fail my mission!" Draco snapped back.

"What mission?!"

"I can't tell you yet," He promised, "But I will. Eventually. But it's big."

Knowing this wasn't going anywhere, I just walked away. I went up to the portrait of the Fat Lady, which, I knew, hid Gryffindor Common Room. I sat down on the floor next to the portrait and leaned against the wall, tapping the floor with my feet to a beat that was only in my head. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I think I fell asleep there, because next thing I knew, I was in the Common Room. I hadn't been that tired, but I'd been horribly bored, and boredom can do things to a person. In any case, around me was Gryffindor Common Room. Sitting up, I saw Ron scratching his head, working on some homework. I leaned forward so I could read what class it was for, and saw it was Defence Against the Dark Arts.

"Y'know you spelled that wrong, right?" I said, pointing at a specific word on his paper.

"Good morning, sleepy-head," Ron laughed, then looked at the word, "It is?"

"God, Ron! Learn how to spell or something!"

"I'm trying!" He replied.

I glanced back at his paper. "..Is that really what you're going to hand-in to Severus? Half of your information's incorrect!"

"Well, Miss Know-It-All, fix it then!" Ron said, quite pleased with himself as he thought he was convincing me to do his homework.

"Fine," I said, and grabbed his paper from him. I re-wrote everything, taking out the mistakes, fixing the grammer, and removing all things that weren't correct.

He looked it over, then said, "..You've got really girly writing."

I punched him and laughed. "You're a real git, Ronald Bilius Weasley!"

"Who told you my middle name?"

"Your father, stupid!" I said, and hit him again.

"Whatever," he replied, sticking his tongue out at me.

I grew cold and distant as Harry freakin' Potter walked into the room. My glare was icey, and I hoped my silence stabbed him like daggers.

"Hey, Mate," said Ron cheerily, "Soph just did my homework!"

"Bet she messed it up on purpose," said Harry, disregarding the fact that I was even there, "She's a git that way. A big, stupid, Death Eater, bloody git."

I couldn't help myself; my American side took control. "You want to go, Potter?!" I demanded, holding up my fists.

"Oh, that would be a fair fight," he said sarcastically, "You're three inches tall."

I kicked his shin. "I could take you anyday, Potter! Anyday, anytime!"

"Ow! Why you littl-.." he started but I interupted him by punching him in the face. I snickered to myself thinking about the black eye he'd get.

"Sophie!" Ron was so shocked; apparantly, Harry hadn't told him about our little row. "What'd you do that for?!"

"Because Harry's a git who thinks I've turned," I spat.

His eyes went to Harry, "Seriously, mate? Why does she think that yo-..."

"Because it's true, Ron!" Harry replied, "It's so obvious! It's written all over her face; or more accurately, her arm."

"I-... She-... It's not..." Ron stuttered, but couldn't find the words.

"Are you always this articulate?" I asked, choking back tears.

"Yes," said Ron, "It's why all the girls love me."

"Get serious, Ron," I snapped a little, "Do you believe Harry? Have I turned? Because it won't matter what I say; I can't make you change your mind."

"I don't think you're a true Death Eater," Ron reasoned, "But I do think you've been acting a little odd. That's all I'm saying. There. Done. That's it."

"...I can live with that," I shrugged.

"Too bad," Harry muttered, then walked away.

Days turned to weeks. Next thing I knew, it was October. The chilly fall air had come and taken the leaves with it. On my broom, I knocked it down each and every time the Quaffle came at me. I smiled, pleased with myself. I had to rub my hands together to keep warm. Glancing across the field as I waited for the Quaffle to come down to my end of the field again, I scanned the other Slytherins. Crabbe was here, but Goyle was missing. Also absent was Draco. It must've had something to do with whatever it was he was plotting. And yet he wouldn't tell me! What did he think I was going to do, gossip about his plans with Potter? Yeah right. I wasn't that girl anymore. Besides, I never told Potter anything Draco didn't want me to. I must've been off in thought, because reality blurred back into focus when I heard shouting.

"Oh, marvelous stop, Lupin!" one of our Slytherin chasers heckled, "Play like that and we'll loose every match!"

"Yeah, you didn't even move!" Crabbe agreed.

"Y'know what?" I said, "I got distracted; lost in thought? I end up thinking a lot! Maybe you should try it some time!"

"Don't start it, Lupin," Crabbe warned, "After all, I've whiped bigger things than you off of the bottom of my shoes!"

"Pfffft," I mocked him, "You don't scare me!" With a snarl, he shot a bludger at me. I kicked it back at him, and it knocked him off his broom. Too bad he was only about three feet in the air. Darn. Once he was in control of his body, he grabbed his beater-stick, and was about to aim the bludger at me again, but an all-too familiar voice interupted the scene.

"Mr. Crabbe!" said Severus, approaching the team, "You wouldn't be aiming that at Miss Lupin, would you? She is our house's best keeper."

I smirked at Crabbe, victory obviously going to me. "However," Severus added, and my smirk faded, "Miss Lupin, I'd like to speak to you about your slipping grades."

"With pleasure, Seve-.. I mean, Professor," I said, getting down off of my broom and following him away. The other Slytherins hated how I called him by his first name.

"You're still failing!" he snapped once we were alone, "You're failing three classes!"

"Severus, we haven't gotten report cards yet," I reminded him.

"Sophia, you haven't done one thing right in either Potions or Defence Against the Dark Arts all year!" Severus scolded, "And MgGonagall tells me you're screwing around in Transfiguration. Tell me, do you plan on graduating this year?"

"Nope!" I laughed, then got serious again. "Not if you're teaching D.A.D.A. And I've always been horrible at Transfiguration."

"You are going to stop this nonsense!" Severus commanded.

"You're trying to boss me around; bully me into doing what you want," I replied snappily, "But it won't work! I'm not eleven-years-old anymore! I've got my own mind and my own plans! After all, I'll be of age in two months!"

His facial expression told me he hadn't thought about that. "Err..." He stuttered, "True as that may be... What would your father say?! You're failing three classes, two purposely! If he could, he'd sa-.."

"He'd say, 'My dear Sophia, you're so brave! Doing what you think is right for my friend Severus! Keep doing it, dear!' And you know it," I interupted. "He'd love me doing this! Sticking up for my beliefs."

"Sophia, you've got to get this in your head: I'm not the one we should be worrying about! You're a young girl, I'm an adult," He said, nodding like he was reassuring himself he was right.

"Oh, Severus!" I rolled my eyes, "You know I'm right! Admit it!"

"I didn't want to do this, Sophia," Severus began, "But you've left me no choice... If you cannot bring up all three of your grades, you won't be allowed to play Quidditch."

"Severus!" I protested, "I-I'm our only chance at the Cup! I've got to-.."

"I'm sorry Sophia," he said, "That's how it is."

"...Y-you can't do that! You aren't captain!" I tried to find loopholes.

"But I am head-of-house, and a teacher," Severus said, "And if you aren't doing well in classes, you cannot do extra-curricular activities."

"Q-quidditch is my life..." I swallowed my tears, "Y-you can't.... You're supposed to be my friend! My godfather!"

"I've got to be teacher first, friend second," Severus replied coldly.

As I lost the fight, a couple of tears trinkled down my face, "Y-y'know, you're a real git sometimes, S-Sev!"

He turned away from me. For some reason, he couldn't look at me. I thought I saw a tear run down his own cheek. I looked in a mirror; I looked like Lily.

Changing myself as fast as I could to normal, I put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Severus," I sputtered, "I-I didn't mean to... It just.. I didn't..." It's hard to explain why for some reason when I'm heated or feel betrayed, I steal Lily Potter's face... Not purposely, of course, but I look like her just the same.

"Go," he said quietly.

"I beg your pardon?" I asked, not hearing him well.

"Go!" He practically screamed at me, and I ran from his office like I was running from death itself.

More time passed. November. I was off the Quidditch team. Draco wasn't showing up. We were losing every game. And how badly I wanted to play! It was practically murder to sit here, watching us loose. I didn't want to come watch, but Severus made me. He told me if I got my grades up, I could play again. It would be me in front of the rings. That was the worst part. Most of the Slytherins had stopped talking to me all together. Not that that was a bad thing, I hated each of them. Besides Draco, of course.

I noticed how odd our team looked; some third-year I didn't even recognize guarding the rings, my rings. An inexperienced second-year seeker took Draco's place. Strangely, Goyle was holding his beater stick, zooming around, but Crabbe was absent. Our back-up beater, a fourth-year, had seen a lot of game time. It seemed like every game one of them was missing. I figured they were helping Draco with his big secret. Those idiots didn't need to know what they were doing as long as they were told they were doing it right.

The friendly, and loud, voice of Luna Lovegood interupted my thoughts. "And Mallory Volven has caught the snitch! I do like her, she's a lot of fun."

I looked up to see across the field, my cousin was holding the snitch as she sat on her broomstick. Her name was Mallory, but Julie started calling her Mallard. We all called her Ducki. Mallory's dad was Julie's dad's brother. So really, she wasn't my cousin, but she might as well have been.

Ducki beamed, so happy with herself; it was the first time she caught the snitch. True, it was her second match as seeker, but last time, she was playing Gryffindor, and Potter got to it first. It took her a while to get onto the Quidditch team, but she had done it now, in her third year.

"Go, Ducki!" Julie boomed from the stands. "You rock, cuz!"

I couldn't take it anymore. Watching our low, defeated team sulk off of the field, hearing them bicker about whose fault it was, soaking in the fact that we lost to Hufflepuff of all houses! It was just too much. I walked away, shaking my head angrily. I mean, of course I was happy for Ducki, but I had to be true to me house.

I bumped into Draco in the hallway again. (Does it seem weird to anyone else that that's the only way I ever saw him?) He was frowing, and his eyes looked red; bloodshot, and, judging by the rings around his eyes, this was caused by lack of sleep.

"Draco, dearest," I said softly, imitating Aunt Narcissa, "You know you've got to sleep. Staying up all the time isn't good for my little boy." I grabbed his cheek and pulled affectionately.

"Geroffmyface," he said as best as he could, what with me pulling his cheek and all.

I let go, letting his cheek shoot back into its normal spot and smacked him lightly. "Still up to no good?"

"Maybe," was his response. "Maybe it isn't no good. You're horrible to judge me."

"Yeah, yeah. What's your evil mission and how can I either help or make it look like I messed it up on accident?" I said with a smile.

"Sophie, I can't tell you!" Draco said firmly.

"Damn it, Draco!" I snapped, "Why the hell not?!"

"Because if anything goes wrong with this plan," Draco shot back, "I die. Mum dies. Dad dies. End of the Malfoys. I've got to do this!"

"I told you not to worry about them!" I replied heatedly, "Do you even remember our promise? The promise we made when we were young?"

"Errr... yes?" he said, unsure.

"We were seven," I said. "We were scared. We knew it would come to this. We knew the Dark Lord would be back, if only because it was all Uncle Lucius talked about. 'A year until he's back at the most,' he'd say, remember? We promised if anything happened, if we were on opposite sides, we'd protect each other depending on the out-come."

"I'm starting to remember..." he said slowly, "How would we protect each other? What out-come?"

"You promised me," I brought into focus, "If the Dark Lord rose again, took control of everything, if he won, that you'd keep me safe. You said you wouldn't let me get hurt. You promised to keep all my secrets, because I promised to tell you them. I promised you that if he fell once more, this time for good, that I'd protect you, and Aunt Narcissa, and Uncle Lucius; I won't let any of the Order hurt you. I said I'd keep all your secrets, because you promised to tell me them. I promised you I'd die for you, should it come to it. It's the same thing you promised me."

"We promised all that?!" Draco exclaimed, shocked at what truly wonderful family we'd been to each other, "At seven?!"

I nodded. "I'm keeping my end of the promise; how about you?"

"I will tell you," he said solomnly, "I just can't right now. I will though. I promise." He smiled a real smile at me, and I couldn't help but smile back. I loved my cousin so much when he was being honest with me. I hated the boy most people took him to be. Sure, he's mean to muggleborns and cruel to "bloodtraitors". So what? We all do things that in ten, twenty years, we won't be proud of. If Hermione, or Ron, or even Potter, could see him through my eyes? They'd be nicer to him.

"I've got to get going," Draco said, ending my thoughts. "Got to work on.. Y'know.."

"I actually don't" I reminded him, "But that's the point, right?" I winked.

"Yeah," he agreed, then started to walk away. He stopped about twenty feet from where he began, came back, and awkwardly hugged me.

I hugged him back. "Thanks, Draco," I said, "For being so honest with me." He said nothing, and left, to go where ever it was he went.

"Sophia Lupin!" said a young voice behind me. I spun around to face a girl I didn't know the name of, but I had definately seen in class before. She had fine stationary in her arms, telling me she'd just been to the Owlary recently. "Professor Slughorn wants to see you."

"Goody," I muttered sarcastically before walking away. I stepped on a paper that matched her stationary on the way out. It said, "Ramilda Vane."

"Ahh!" said Slughorn when I entered his office, "Sophia, dear! We simply must talk! You never talk to me, you know. Makes me think you don't like me anymore."

"Oh, Sir," I said, "Of course I like you. I'm just horribly busy recently, I'm afraid. Lots of homework."

He waited a moment before replying. He spent that moment staring at me. "You're so amazingly like your mother," he said finally.

"I wish you wouldn't say that," I said honestly.

"Why, dear?" Slughorn asked, "Your mother was a wonderful woman, and a wonderful student. She was in my little club with her best friend.."

"..Lily Evans," I finished for him, "Yeah. I know. 'wondeful, wonderful, wonderful'. Y'know, I've never heard of another wonderful woman quite like her, Sir." It came out quite bitterly.

"Yes, she was wonderful," Slughorn went on, not hearing my bitterness, "Not one quite like her, not even her ow-.."

"'Own twin, Narcissa'," I interupted, knowing everything he was going to say, "'The only one of her sisters she was anything like was Bellatrix. After all, they were just so close. If Sara wasn't in school, she was with Bellatrix. If she wasn't with Bellatrix, she was babysitting for Andromeda while telling her parents she was at Jacob's'."

When he looked at me, mouth hanging open, I shrugged. "I've heard it so many times I've got it memorized. I've even got notes of it beneath my bed: 'Not like Narcissa,' 'Just like Bellatrix,' 'Always with Bellatrix,' 'Babysitting for Andromeda'. I've got it down to a science."

"I'm sorry, dear," he sighed, "You probably don't like being compared to her."

"I just find her weird because she was always with Bellatrix, her Death Eater sister, but her best friend was muggle-born," I said honestly, "She was so strange."

"I won't deny that one," Slughorn chuckled. "Always had to do things her own way."

"..Did you call me here to talk about her, Sir?" I asked, wanting to get back to the point.

"Hm?" he replied, "Oh! No, dear. I had alternate reasons, of course, though it does in envolve your mother."

My head perked up: I had to hear what he had to say.

"Yes," he went on, "I believe I was looking through my things when I found this, and it said on the first page, 'Do not read; give to Sophia.' I regret to say I tried to peek passed the first page, and suffered from oddly colored hair for days." As he spoke, he searched through a large trunk. "Ahh, here it is!"

He tossed out a big, heavy book. As it hit the ground loudly, a puff of dust rose into the air. I coughed as I picked it up. The inside read:

Sara Black's journal, you hold in your hand.  
Should you turn the page, you'll try your luck at my games.  
Turning passed this page, I don't recommend.  
Passed this page there are many thoughts, dreams and names.  
If you dare read my journal, I shall bring your end.  
I have only one last piece of advise, should you wish to live.  
Give to Sophia: Do not read.

I just stared at it; Judging by both the books apparant age and the fact that it said "Sara Black," I assumed it was her journal from her years at Hogwarts. Such a strong warning could only mean she had a very, juicy, secret life at school. I was shocked at Slughorn for even looking passed.

"Sara liked to scare people," He informed me. He apparantly supposed he should say so since the strong caution was so horrific. "She'd never do anything harmful. Change a persons hair color, yes, but nothing harmful." He smiled to himself, thinking of some pleasant memory that wasn't being shared with me.

"Thank you Sir!" I said, clutching the book close to my chest. "I'll keep it safe."

"Get your grades up!" He shouted behind me as I ran out of the room and up to Slytherin Common Room. From the sound of him, it had been his purpose for calling me there, but he had forgotten because of the journal.  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 


	5. The Journal and Shouts

When I got to the Common Room, I found Parkinson playing with my stuff. Actually, playing wasn't the right word. Purposely breaking was more accurate. I grabbed what was still intact and left.

I walked down to the kitchen, and saw the house-elves eye me wearily. I smiled at them, then I noticed Kreacher.

"Kreacher, dear!" I called kindly, "Come here, would you?"

"Yes, Miss Black." Kreacher said.

I laughed. He always called me Black, since I was of the house of Black, despite my last name. "What are you doing here?"

"Master Potter told Kreacher to come here. Kreacher doesn't like it here; too many Mudbloods allowed into this school now-and-days, too many Mudbloods.."

"Kreacher," I scolded, "I don't like you saying that word, all right?"

"Kreacher doesn't like being here," he went on, "Can Kreacher leave, Mistress Black?"'

"I'm not your mistress, sweetness," I sighed. Yes, Kreacher was a mean little house-elf, but you had to be kind with them.

With a sigh, Kreacher said, "At least Kreacher tried..." and went back to do his job. I sat down and opened the journal.

There were dividers inside the journal to separate each year she spent at Hogwarts. Tabs on the dividers made browsing it so much easier. Mum was so.. organized. I could hardly believe this was the woman who had been my mother's journal. She was sloppy, and random, but this was neat. Maybe she was trying to make it easier for me. I turned to the first page.

_My name is Sara Black. I am eleven years old. I am going to Hogwarts. I am a witch. As I speak, (or more accurately, write,) a train is taking me to Hogwarts. I was sitting next to my cousin, Sirius. He let me sit with him and his friends James, Peter, Jacob, and Remus. James is annoying, and I don't like him. Jacob is wonderful. Remus is cute. Peter is fat._

_Across the compartment sat a girl named with red hair and green eyes. James fancies her, Sirius told me. She was sitting by a boy with greasy hair. I didn't know his real name, but Sirius calls him Snivelly. He looked like a git._

_In the row behind them sat my sister Narcissa. She was scared and nervous. She wanted to be in Slytherin. Our older sisters Bella and Dromeda were Slytherins. I'm not allowed to talk to Dromeda anymore. She married a muggle. I do anyway. Dromeda has a daughter named Nymphadora. I call her Dora. She's only one right now, but she doesn't seem to like her name; she fusses when you say it. Her last name, Tonks, calms her down, though._

_Sirius nudged me. I think he read the above part about Jacob and Remus. James laughed at me because Sirius whispered to him what I wrote. I laughed. I was embarassed. I never blush, but I laugh. A lot._

_I heard the girl talking to Snivelly. She maked a joke. Something about being muggleborn. Daddy says I shouldn't talk to muggleborns. Well, he says I shouldn't talk to Mudbloods, but I don't like that word. Daddy uses it, though. Mummy uses it, too. Bella uses it. Cissy uses it sometimes when she wants to look grown-up._

_Dromeda doesn't use it._

_I looked at Remus. He has scars across his face. I think he'd be cuter if he didn't have them. He's really smart. I look at Jake. He's kind. American, but kind. His sister was walking around somewhere. She was a prefect. She was in Ravenclaw._

_Jake got up and walked over to sit with Lily and the greasy boy. He sayed they're his friends, too, so he should sit with them. I went with him; I wanted to know the boys real name._

_"Is your name Lily?" I asked the red-haired girl beside the greasy boy._

_"Yes, I'm Lily Evans," she smiled. Her green eyes were very pretty._

_I looked at the boy. "Is your name Snivelly?" I asked sincerely._

_Sirius and James laughed._

_The boy went read in the face. "No it is not!"_

_"His name is Severus!" Lily sayed protectively. "He's my best friend, so don't call him that! It's just what they call him because they're gits." She pointed to James and Sirius. I laughed because I already knew that._

_"Want to be my friend, Lily?" I asked._

_"No!" Cissy hissed behind us._

_"Hush up, Cissy!" I bossed her around. I am older than her, after all. Seven minutes, and that makes a day. I was born at 11:56 P.M., she was 12:03 A.M._

_"Daddy won't like it!" she whined._

_"Daddy won't find out, because you won't tell him!" I commanded. She shut up._

_"Why wouldn't your dad like it?" Lily asked._

_"My daddy's not nice," I shrugged._

_"She's a Black," Severus said, "Like Potter's friend. They come from a real pureblood family."_

_"Oh," was all Lily said. I looked at Jake. He was quiet; he was reading._

_"But who cares, really?" I said. She smiled. She told me I'm her friend. I smiled. I told her that I hope I would be in her house. She said she was in Gryffindor_.

Weird. I knew Lily and Severus were friends, but he never told me James and Sirius called him Snivelly. And Mum thought Remus was cute? Ew. And why did the stuff she said about Remus sound better than the stuff about Dad? Did she fancy him back then? I shook the thought from my mind; absolutely not! There was no possible way. Maybe if I skipped to a farther year I could find out more. Dad said they started going out in his fifth, her second year. Young as that sounded for her to date someone like that, he was fifteen, a young one of his year, and she turned thirteen shortly after starting second-year, so two years wasn't bad. I flipped through the pages and found a page I thought would answer my questions. The first line said, _"Jake's going to be so mad."_ I started reading.

_Jake's going to be so mad. I shouldn't have done it! After all, Remus was his best friend! Jake was the jealous type, so he'll be madder at me than Remus._

_Even though it's all my fault._

_It was after the Quidditch match yesterday afternoon. Ravenclaw had just lost to Gryffindor; stupid James had to go and catch the snitch! I let nothing by me! It was 150-70! Darn._

_Anyway, it just ended. I saw Remus behind the field, and of course I had to run over to him. "Remus"! I called while doing so._

_He turned around and smiled slightly. "Hey Sar-.. What happened?"_

_"Oh, these?" I pointed to the scars that ran down the left side of my face all the way to my shoulder._

_"D-..did I do that?" he asked, appauled by the thought it could've been his fault. He must've felt horrible. After all, I hadn't seen him for four days. The last time I got to see him was during full moon. I'd convinced him and the others to let me come. After all, the lynx I turned into was very helpful. I kept him so busy all night by letting him chase me, and James, the stag, Sirius, the black dog, Peter Petti-screw-up, the rat, and Jake, the bear, just had to sit there._

_"Technically yes," I said honestly, "But it was completely my fault. I was letting you chase me and I kept slowing down, letting you almost catch up, then bolting. It was a real thrill, actually. I was careless."_

_"Sara, I knew we shouldn-..." he started, but I cut him off._

_"Remus, don't say any of that," I said, holding one finger to his lips to shush him. "You talk too much. Honestly, let me take the blame. I'm completely fine."_

_"What will your family say when you come home scarred?" Remus blurted._

_"I'll tell them I was in the Forest," I shrugged, "And got attacked. In fact, we can tell them it didn't get to bite me because the heroic Remus Lupin showed up and saved me."_

_"Sara, they aren't going to believe it," he said pessistically, "No one would picture me that heroic. After all, everyone says the Sorting Hat screwed up and placed me wrong. I should be in Ravenclaw."_

_"With me?" I suggested, winking. He blushed and looked away. I smiled. "Remus, come on. Honestly."_

_"I'm being dead-honest, Sara," Remus said seriously. "We shouldn't have let you come."_

_"You had to, remember?" I reminded him, "After all, I'm black-mailing you all. I could still tell my family that Sirius plans on running away this summer." I wiggled an eyebrow._

_"You wouldn't!" he said, horrified._

_"Of course I wouldn't!" I laughed, "I wouldn't have told even if you didn't let me come with you those nights ago."_

_"You're terrible," Remus said._

_"Yes, I know," I said. "But I came to talk to you about the night."_

_"What could you possibly want to say about it?" Remus ventured, raising an eyebrow._

_"Thanks," I replied plainly, "For letting my come and everything. Sure, I hurt myself a little, but it was fun. It was so worth it."_

_"Sara!" Cissy called from a ways away. I could see her well enough to tell she was waving, but that was it._

_"I better go.." I said, "But before I do, I've got to thank you properly."_

_"What do you me-.." he started, but I interupted him. With my lips. It was slow and long, and I would swear up and down to the Minister of Magic himself that I felt Remus kiss me back. It took me a minute to really realize what I, what he, was doing. Shocked and somewhat terrified, I pulled back._

_"W-w-why did you do th-that?" Remus stuttered, apparantly horrified with himself for kissing me._

_I shrugged. "If anyone asks about it, lie, ok?" I said before running off to Cissy. I put him in a horrible position; Jacob had asked me to be his girlfriend the day before._

_I had said yes._

I slammed the journal down, fuming with anger. It was a good thing it was Saturday, because I grabbed my luckily intact broom and the journal, scanned my things for a coat, and threw it all on my person. The house-elves eyed me wearily, but I couldn't have cared less; I had a purpose for this. I flew off on my broom-stick and, as fast as my Nimbus-2001 could take me, zoomed to Remus' house; he had much explaining to do.

When I got there, I stormed up the drive-way, and, not even knocking, invited myself inside. How odd that he left the door unlocked. I didn't bother to think about it.

Remus poked his head into the living room where I had entered, and smiled at me. His hands were covered in flour and he has his apron on. Usually I'd have mocked him, but I was too upset.

"Sophie!" He said, smiling wide, "What are you doing here? I didn't expe-.."

"Shut the hell up, Remus!" I commanded.

"Sophia!" He scolded, "Watch your mouth!"

"Explain to me, father," I said, bitterly putting sarcasm on the word "father", "Why is there a detailed description of you kissing my mother in here?!"

"What is that?" Remus asked.

"My Mum's journal, you git!" I screamed, "She kissed you! You kissed back! Dad had already asked her out! What the hell kind of a friend are you?!"

He went pale. "I-Is it really?" I showed him the first page to confirm. "Sophia, I didn't mean to.. I just... She.. It was a mistake!"

"Oh, I bet that went over well," I snapped, "It was a mistake. No duh! She had a boyfriend, who happened to be your best friend! Did you ever tell Dad?! Why'd he still even talk to you?!"

"Sophia, I didn't know!" Remus tried to explain, "I hadn't talked to either of them since the Moon night! He came over a few minutes after it happened with his 'good news'!"

"Oh, wonderful!" I sarcastically yelled, "Great! You still knew he fancied her! Admit it!"

When he said nothing, I went on, "You great big git! How long had you been fancying my mum before that day?!"

Remus sighed, knowing lying would get him no where. "Sophia, sit down, and I'll tell you."

"I'd rather stand!" I fumed.

"Ok, stand then," He said, trying to recall all that had happened. "First off, we were young. I didn't know Jake had asked her the previous day, but I did know he fancied her. He'd fancied her since her first day. I'd decided she was his; I'd only fancied her since her second day. I felt horrible, and she probably knew I did. She told me the next day, after Jake had found out and was quite steamed with me, actually, that, yes, it meant something, but we'd have to supress it. She had to love Jake. She said she'd seen both possible outcomes; she was a seer, you know. She'd convinced herself she loved me, and looked forward. Then she convinced herself she loved him. The future was better with her as Mrs. Jamison than it did as Mrs. Lupin. I respected that. She said it was better, 'for the four of us', so I assumed I'd meet someone else... And I have.... And it's bad..."

"Tonks?" I reasoned, much less angry for some reason. "Did she mean Tonks?"

"That's what I think," Remus said, "But it won't work! She needs someone young, and whole, and with someone with at least a little money to his name... Someone who doesn't have a past with her aunt of all people!"

"So that's the real reason for this?" I worked out, "Because you lov-.. fancied my mum? She won't care, Remus!"

"I do!" he shouted to no one in particular, "I care! It's not just because of Sara! I'm old now! I-I waited too long! I'm too old to-.."

"Fall in love?" I finished for him. A lump in his throat kept him quiet, but he nodded.

"Oh, Remus!" I said, "You aren't even that old! You're only..."

"thirty-eight," he muttered.

"Not old," I said, "And as for money, no one cares. What's gonna happen? The Blacks disown her? She's already not counted as their family, so who cares? And you aren't any more dangerous than I am, and I still go for who I want!" The last part wasn't true, but I hoped he didn't know. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was reluctantly thinking of Percy.

"Sophia, it's dif-.." he started.

"Different?" I said, cutting him off like Mum did, "Remus stop telling yourself these things!" I unintentionally added, "You talk too much."

For once in a long time, he smiled a little. Not a large smile, but enough to make me smile in response.

"Go back to school, Sophie," he said, the smile fading. "You'll get in trouble."

"All right," I said, grabbing my things and walking back to the door. Without thinking, I added, "Bye, Dad," as I flew off.

I thought I heard him begin to reply, but then change his statement to, "...Dad?!" in suprise. Then it became softer, pleased. "Dad..."

More time passed. November was over now, and the snow tumbled down in what seemed like bucket-fulls. Slughorn had announced he was having a Christmas party for those in his club. Among those invited was the newest club member who Slughorn had just recently collected, and for good reason; Chris Volven, my cousin, the American President of Magic's son. The worst part was that we were supposed to bring dates.

By now, I had noticed a change in the only friends I had left. Hermione and Ron weren't speaking for reasons unknown to me. Something about Ron and snogging, I had over-heard, but the thought of Ron snogging any kind of girl was too humorous, so I had excused it as a rumor. Neville, as I had expected on the train, wasn't speaking to me. Not suprising, as my aunt caused the damage done to his parents. I would have wagered my entire inheritance that he believed Harry's thoughts about me. Luna acted odd, or odder than usual, because she kept disappearing. I didn't know where she went, but the little wave she kept giving Chris hinted that he had something to do with it. Jaymes, poor Jaymes, had to run all over chaos. With Ron and Hermione not talking, Harry and I fueding, and Neville rejecting my existance all together, she hardly had time to speak to anyone before she had to run to meet someone else. Who would've thought Sirius Black's daughter would end up the peace-keeper?

But none of this mattered. I had no one to take to the Christmas party; I considered not going. Though, I supposed anyone I could convince to take me would be better than Hermione's date. Honestly, I had no idea what she was thinking bringing Cormac MgLaggen. Yes, it annoyed Ron, but would it be worth it? We'd find out. I considered all the boys I knew: Smith, ew, Crabbe or Goyle, double ew, Ron, triple ew and he had a girlfriend now!

I sighed to myself, thinking of how horrible it would be to show up without a date. It seemed even more horrible to go with a date, because the only one I wanted wasn't at school... By now, I'd given up on fighting myself about Percy; I knew I fancied him, if not loved.

I sighed again. Love... At least I wasn't Harry; the girl he fancied was Ginny. Why did everyone have to fancy Ron's siblings? Julie fancied George, though she'd never say anything. Lola fancied Charlie, who fancied her right back. Jaymes fancied Fred, who also fancied her back, though they hadn't ever really talked about that kind of thing. Bill was unavailable for fancying, as he was engaged. And who fancied Ron? Apparantly his girlfriend, who I hadn't been introduced to. From Hermione's bitter description, she sounded familiar to me, but I couldn't pin a face to a name. Not that I'd been told the name, of course.

As for my date dilema, I determined I would ask whoever walked passed me first at breakfast this morning. Of course first was Zachariah Smith, so I said, "Hey, Zach! Zach-Attack! Zach-Man! You're ex-Zach-ly the man I wanted to see!"

"What is it, Lupin?" He growled impatiently.

"Wanna be my date to Slughorn's party?" I asked.

"...No." he said, then walked away.

Pansy Parkinson stared at me, and I burst into laughter. I was much sadder on the inside; getting a date would be harder than I thought.

Next by was Seamus Finnigan. "Seamus!" I said, getting a bit more excited; He was still talking to me. At least I hoped he was.

"Yeah, Sophie?" Seamus said, "What do you need? I'm gettin' pretty hungry."

"Would you go with me to Slughorn's Christmas party thing?" I asked. I brought out my secret weapon: the pout. "Please?"

"Sorry Sophie," he said, "But I"m goin' home the day before. Thanks for the offer though." He went to his seat at Gryffindor table. I sucked my lower-lip back in and introduced my forehead to the table. Parkinson laughed, so I pushed her head into her oatmeal. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It was the day of the party. It would start in half an hour. I was sitting with Hermione, helping her tame that hair of hers. It was very difficult, and three of my favorite brushes were snapped in the process. After we got her hair done, she went to find her earrings while I quickly braided my hair. Today I was wearing it long, half way down my back, and brilliantly golden-blond, a shade not unlike Hermione's. I envied Hermione sometimes. She was so much more beautiful than I was, and she knew exactly how she looked, while I was ever-changing.

She came back in, smiled, and we left. She was meeting with MgLaggen in the hallway, and I decided to tag along. Hermione rolled her eyes at MgLaggen's Quidditch stories and mouthed at me, "Help me." I mouthed back, "Go to the restroom."

"Excuse us for just a moment," Hermione said, and we jetted to the girls room. "Brilliant plan, Soph," she added once we got there, "But what will we do all evening? Stay in here?"

"I could keep him busy," I shrugged, "I like Quidditch."

"Oh, thank you!" Hermione exclaimed., hugging me tightly.

"Hermione, I'm small," I reminded her, "And you're crushing my lungs."

"Oh, sorry!" She said, letting go.

"I'll tell him you've got some kind of stomache bug," I smiled, then went back out to MgLaggen.

I lasted about an hour until I couldn't handle him anymore. "MgLaggen, if you're so great, then why aren't you in the Quidditch team?!" I finally snapped.

He blinked, then replied hotly, "Because Weasley got lucky!"

"Yeah, whatever," I said. Anyone else would be better to talk to than this clown. Even Harry.

And speak of the devil, and he shall arrive; Harry walked by. "Excuse me," I said, then tailed after Harry.

Harry tried to ignore me, but after only five steps, me behind him was getting on his nerves. He was with Jaymes. "What do you want, Lupin?!" He screeched, spinning around quickly to face me.

"I-.. Is Jaymes your date?" I had to ask. I smuggled a laugh.

"Well yeah," he said, embarrassed, then going back to mad.

"He asked Luna first," Jaymes said happily, "But she was already going with your cousin, Chris. So I said, 'Harry James Potter, you are taking me with you to that party as friends and we will have a good time', and here we are."

Harry leaned forward, then back, then to the side, and finally to the other side. "Where's your date?" he asked.

"Don't have one," I said sadly, "C-could I tag along with you? Just for tonight?"

"Su-..." Jaymes began, but Harry cut her off.

"No, you can't."

"Harry," I said desperately. I honestly just wanted to be his friend again; not speaking was killing me. "Come on. You know I'm no Death Eater. I talk big, but I don't have the guts to hurt anyone! And if I was a Death Eater, Hermione wouldn't be my best friend. I'm not brave enough to be a Death Eater."

"Death Eaters aren't brave!" Harry spat, "They, I mean you, are low, sneaky, Slytherin gits!"

"You know, not all Slytherins are Death Eaters!" I responded. I wasn't shouting, but I was speaking loudly. "And not all Death Eaters are Slytherins! Pettigrew's a Gryffindor! And my Dad was no Death Eater, but he was Slytherin! Both of those two, I might add, were your dad's best friends!"

"Don't you talk about him!" he snapped, "I don't allow Voldemort's servants to speak of him!" I cringed when he said the Dark Lord's name, and he added, "See?! You never used to act weird when I said Voldemort!" I cringed again. "What happened to you?!"

"It's a habit," I muttered, "I have to do it when I'm in his presence. Or any Death Eaters, as a matter-of-fact. It's better for me to do it around here than to not when I'm there."

"Yeah, sure," Harry said, unconvinced. "Maybe you weren't the right person to have spying on Voldemort."

Cringe. "I am the right person, Harry!" I said, "Why can't you see that?! How can a few months of me having to pretend and lie change how you've thought of me since we were born?!"

"What do you mean 'since we were born'?" Harry asked ignorantly.

"Well, our parents were best friends, so of course they had their babies on play-dates," I reminded him.

"That doesn't count," Harry growled, "We were babies; we had no choice in the matter."

"Harry," I said, shaking my head, "I've never had to be this honest; I'm. Not. A. Real. Death. Eater. I'm risking my neck here!"

"Harry, Soph is-.." Jaymes tried to say.

"Be quiet, Jaymes," Harry interupted, then turned back to me. "How can I be sure you're not working for Voldemort," cringe, "for real?"

"Ask Draco," I shrugged. "He knows I'm a spy." When Harry gave me an "Are you serious!?" look, I added, "I'd trust him with my life."

"Oh, right," he scoffed, "Ask Malfoy. He's a Death Eater now, isn't he?" I didn't respond, so he added, louder, "Isn't he?!"

My brain was swimming with thoughts for a moment. Do I tell him the truth and break my promise to Draco? Or do I lie, and possibly never talk to Harry again? I had to make a choice. Fast.

"No," I said quietly. "H-he's not a Death Eater. He w-will never be a D-Death Eater."

"Why are you stuttering?" Harry demanded, his fury raising back up, "Unless you're lying? He is one, isn't he?! I knew it!"

"Harry, I didn't say that!" I protested, despite knowing he was right.

"Harry, don't just assu-.." Jaymes started.

"Shut up, Jaymes," Harry snapped.

"No, Harry!" Jaymes snapped back, "You shut up for a second and let me get my damn sentence out!"

He drew back, so she went on. "Don't just assume he is because Sophie stuttered; she does that all the time when she's under pressure. I'm just as keen on pinning Malfoy as a Death Eater as you are, but what would Voldemort," cringe, "want with a sixteen-year-old?"

"I dunno!" Harry said, "He's deranged!"

"Harry," I sighed, "Can't you just trust me? Your parents wouldn't have befriended people who'd raise a traitor."

Harry thought a moment, scratching his head. He sighed and looked me in the eye. "Are you a Death Eater? A real one? Answer truthfully."

Returning the eye-contact, I said, "No. I could never join the Dar-.. V-Voldemort.. for real."

He smiled, and, knowing I was forgiven, I hugged him tightly. I let a few tears of relief slide the length of my cheek and down his back.

"Aw, so sweet," Jaymes said, "I think I just threw up a little bit."

The rest of the evening went almost as expected. Hermione was dodging MgLaggen, Luna, who never left Chris' arm the whole time, went on about nargles or whatever she calls them. Slughorn gave me a little bit of a hard time about not bringing a date. Draco busted in, which was unexpected. Severus took him out to give him a talking to. Harry followed under the cloak, so naturally I slipped under. Jaymes came, too.

"... cannot afford mistakes, Draco, because if you are expelled-.." was the first thing we overheard. Severus was speaking to Draco in a most un-Severus-ish manner.

"I didn't have anything to do with it, all right?" Draco interupted. Harry looked from me to Jaymes and back to my cousin and godfather in confusion. Obviously, we'd missed something.

"I hope you are telling the truth, because it was both clumsy and foolish. Already you are suspected of having a hand in it," Severus replied. I looked at Harry who mouthed, "Katie.."

"Who suspects me? For the last time, I didn't do it, ok? That Bell girl must've had an enemy no one kneows about- don't look at me like that! I know you're doing, I'm not stupid, but it won't work- I can stop you!" I didn't like the sound of this. For a moment, all was silent.

"Ah... Aunt Bellatrix has been teaching you Occumency, I see. What thoughts are you trying to conceal from your master, Draco?" Severus asked when he finally spoke.

"I'm not trying to conceal anything from him," Draco sneered, "I just don't want you butting in!"

I lost the conversation. Harry would know I lied. The next thing I knew, which was a while later, the whole conversation was done, and we were trying to quietly get away without Draco or Severus hearing us.

This was bad. Real bad. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A few days later, we were at the Burrow. Harry was mad at me, but believed me this time when I claimed ignorance. But even I couldn't deny it anymore. Draco was a Death Eater. And he had a mission.

What happened to the soft, loving cousin I knew? The kind of boy who'd sooner cry himself to sleep than flick a fly? The boy, who was now a young man, who'd never do wrong? I missed that boy.

Today was different, and I told myself I wouldn't think about these negative things in my life. Today was special. Today was Christmas Eve.

I was sitting in Percy's room, at his desk, typing on my laptop. I didn't exactly fancy the big celebration thing. Sure, Remus (Dad) was down there with the Weasleys, along with Harry, but I didn't feel like sitting with them. I just wanted to be alone. Whenever I told myself that, my brain had a new habit of adding, "with Percy" at the end. I tried to shake away the thought.

My stupid mind! Or rather, I suppose, my stupid heart. Gah! I didn't like this. True, I wasn't fighting it, but I didn't enjoy spending every moment thinking about him. Well, I did enjoy it, but I didn't want to!

On my laptop (that I had earlier defended from Mr. Weasley's curiousity), I was reviewing what had happened in the muggle news; the Internet was so handy sometimes.

"Percy!" I thought I heard Mrs. Weasley cry downstairs. I figured he turned up. Whatever. I wasn't running down there: it'd be too obvious.

I was sitting there, typing in the URL for the website I wanted to go to when I felt hands on my shoulders. Usually, I'd have jumped practically through the ceiling, but I knew these big, obviously male hands wouldn't hurt me. I don't know how. I just knew. The hands didn't just sit on my shoulders, either; they massaged. A pleasured sigh escaped my lips with an, "Ahhhhh.." as I felt all my stress melting away.

The owner of the hands bent down nearer to me, so close that I could feel his breath as he whispered, "..What are you doing in my room?"

Instantly I popped to my feet and snapped around so fast I nearly gave myself whip-lash. Percy Weasley stood before me, bent down so his face was nearly level with mine. It was just high enough that my lips couldn't reach his. I wonder if he planned that.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" I managed to whisper.

"Came with the Minister," he shrugged.

"I-I'm sorry I'm in your room," I apologized, "I n-needed a room and i-it was open and your parents l-let me, an-.."

He shushed me by putting a finger to my lip. "Y'know, you're really..." he teased, "..short." He smirked, thinking he'd won. How I wanted to whip that smirk from his face.

I bit my bottom lip. "I'm tall enough," I said, then stood on my toes, which made me tall enough to crash my lips into his. His smirk was instantly erased as he thoughtlessly kissed me back. I fell off my toes but he lowered himself to my level to keep it going. Almost unconsiously, it seemed. When he realized what happened, he tried to pull back, but I wasn't letting go just yet. I grabbed hold around his neck, and, also without meaning to, his shirt. He finally built up the strength to pull out and went flying backwards, bumping into the edge of his bed. He sat down, panting.

"Wow," Percy said when he finally spoke a minute later. A smile had spread across his face. "Didn't know you felt that way."

I blushed and looked at the floor. A piece of torn cloth that looked a lot like the shirt he'd been wearing laid on the ground. I looked back at him and saw he was shirtless. Did I do that? I blushed a deeper red and looked away.

"Well," he continued, getting up and grabbing what was left of his shirt from the floor, "Now I'll have to change. Are we going to explain this to anyone?"

"Penelope won't like it," I muttered.

"Penelope?" he repeated. "Clearwater, you mean?" he laughed. "If you're referring to her not like it because she's my girlfriend, we won't have to worry about that. We split up. A while ago, actually. Four, five months ago?"

"Oh," I said. Part of me wanted to dance victoriously.

"I don't suppose you're still dating Lee Jordan then?" Percy ventured.

"Oh, of course not!" I replied quickly, "Beginning of last summer, it ended."

He walked closer to me. A lot closer. "Good," he said. "As I obviously feel the same about you as you do for me."

I blushed and giggled.

He went pale for a moment. "What are people going to think? I dare not imagine what Ron will think! After all, you're in his year!"

"Who cares?" I shrugged, "It's our lives."

"And you're sixteen!" he winced, probably disgusted with himself for kissing someone who the law deemed a child.

"Wrong. I turn of age tomorrow on Christmas Day," I winked.

"Remus will-.." he began.

"If you're so damn concerned about what everyone thinks," I asked sarcastically, "then why'd you kiss me?"

"If you'll remember," Percy corrected, "You kissed me first."

"But you kissed back," I reminded him.

"Well yes, but... I... We..." He just couldn't find the right words. I put him out of the misery of searching by kissing him. He instantly quieted down. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	6. Falling in Love and Coming of Age

Once we broke again, this all really sunk in. I was standing with a still-shirtless Percy Weasley. In his room. And I'd kissed him. Twice. He was smirking now, looking at me.

"You're quite right," He said finally. "Who cares what anyone thinks?"

"Let's not even tell them," I suggested. "It's nobody's business but ours, right?"

"Is there an 'ours'?" Percy asked, "Is there an us now? I'm a bit confused; it's happening so fast."

"Yes, there's an us," I decided. "There's a very wonderful us; an us consisting of you and me."

"The best kind of us's usually envolve two people, so I suppose this is an us," He agreed. "But what kind of us? A friendly us, a loathful us..?"

"How about," I said, smiling, "A romantic, random, crazy us?"

"I like that," Percy smiled. He kissed my cheek, then said, "Now to find a new shirt.." and looked through his things. I laughed and looked at the remains of the one he'd previously been wearing.

I guess I stood their in almost a daze for a few minutes, but was brought back by Percy saying, "Hey, it's my old Hogwarts album!"

I couldn't help but laugh. "Go look at my page from third year; I left you a note."

He turned to the page and started laughing, too, as he slipped an arm into a new shirt.

"...Y'know," I said plainly, suprised that I'd only just now thought of this, "We could just 'Reparo' the first shirt..." I pointed my wand at it. "Reparo!"

The shirt mended itself, and I handed it to him, grinning.

"Under-aged magic..." He started.

"Nobody cares, I'll be seventeen tomorrow," I reminded him as he took off the other shirt and started to put the first one on. "Aww, do you have to put it back on?"

"Sorry, but yes," he apologized. "I'm leaving soon, I believe. Once the Minister, he's downstairs, is done talking to Harry Potter, I'll be leaving."

"Wha?!" I sputtered, "B-b-but you just got here a-and...! I'll be alone again!" I pouted and wrapped my boyishly short, messy-on-purpose blue hair around my finger.

"Oh, no you won't," Percy said with a sincere grin. "You'll never really be alone. I promise. I'm always thinking of you, honestly."

"Always?" I asked, grinning myself.

"Practically," He admitted honestly. "I'm only not when I'm having Ministry assignments shoved in my head."

"Psshhht," I said, waving off his attempted-romance, "I'm thinking of you even when stuff is being shoved in my head! I.E. at Hogwarts, during classes that I happen to be failing.."

"You're failing classes?!" Percy half-shrieked. "Which ones?!"

"Oh, I don't want to talk about it," I whined, pouting again, "The report cards are on the way via owl right now and when Remus sees, I'm gonna get killed."

"I won't let him kill you," he said, his romantic attempt having good affect that time. I grinned and wrapped myself in his arms. "But for now, I've got to get downstairs."

"Awww," I said as he untangled me from his arms. "But Perce..."

He kissed me quickly. "I'll visit you sometime; somehow. I promise." With that, he, holding the belongings of his he'd originally come up to get, trekked downstairs, leaving me breathless in an empty room.

"I love you," I whispered, but only managing to do so after he was already gone. ****____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I looked down at myself and saw my clothes were wrinkled. No doubt from being wrapped in his arms. I straightened out the blue mini-dress I was wearing. I'd been honestly suprised that morning when Mrs. Weasley didn't tell me to change. It might've had something to do with the black tights I wore beneath the dress, but still, it was a shock.

Walking out into the upper hallways, I heard voices coming from Fred and George's room, and their door was half-shut. The lights were out. Naturally, I went to investigate.

"Yesssss...!" Julie said from inside, "Just like that! Every time!"

"It's perfect, isn't it?" George, also in there, dreamily agreed.

Oh my God! I thought. What the Hell?!

"It certainly is, George!" Fred laughed from inside. I practically threw the door open.

"Heeyyy, what's up, Soph?" Julie asked.

"What's going on in here?!" I inquired.

"Glow-in-the-Dark candies!" Julie grinned, flicking the light-switch.

"They make you're whole face glow!" George stated.

"Why?" Fred asked. "What on Earth did you think was going on?" He raised an eyebrow, and George and Julie both cracked into laughter.

"Err.... I'm, uhh, gonna go..." I sputtered and backed away slowly, then turned around to walk down the stairs.

Suddenly, I heard a familiar, eruptive, angry voice. "She's failing!?!?"

"Ding-dong," said Julie, suddenly behind me on the stairs. "It's Death and I think it's for you, dearie." All the way down the stairs, she hummed a slow, funeral march.

I saw, when I got downstairs, a red-faced Remus. He looked mad. I looked dead. In the room were Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, too.

He glared at me hard, so I stuttered, "W-w-w-wotcher, R-Remus!"

"You're failing three classes!" He said as if we'd already been discussing it, "Including Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts!"

"Heheh..." I laughed nervously, "Report cards..." I muttered to myself, "Damn..."

"What on Earth is going on with you?!" He demanded.

"Protest?" I stated, though it sounded more like a question.

"And what," Remus yelled, "may I ask, is important enough to lower your grades for a simple protest?!"

"Severus's liiiiiiiife," I said lowly, so low I hardly heard it myself.

"His what?" Remus repeated, not catching my sentence.

"Liiiiiiife!" I hissed.

"...What?" he asked, his confusion greater than his anger.

"Bad stuff happens to the D.A.D.A. teachers!" I said, biting my lip to keep from crying. "You of all people know that! No way am I letting anything happen to Severus!"

"Sophie," Remus sighed, shaking his head, "Don't you understand? Failing grades won't change a man's job."

"Well, it's all I can do!" I shouted back, unsure why I was shouting at all, "I've got to at least try! I did nothing when you taught, and look where you are! You can't find a job, which in turn is making you poorer and poorer by the day, and giving you an excuse not to date Tonks!"

Remus was silent for a moment, then spoke, "Sophia, nothing that has happened to me was your fault. And nothing that could possibly happen to Snape would be, either. But nothing will happen."

"What makes you think you're so right all the time?" I demanded.

"Because I always am," he joked with a confident grin.

I raised an eyebrow. "No time for joking, Dad," I said thoughtlessly.

He smiled momentarily at the shock of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, then said, "All right. But honestly, get your grades up. Repeating sixth year won't be much fun, I'd say."

"But then I could have classes with Ginny and Luna!" I said, faking an excitement comparable only to the true sorrow that showed through my eyes. "It'll be loads of fun!"

With a sigh, Remus replied, "You don't honestly mean that."

"Maybe....." I said, pulling out my cell phone so I had something to do besides returning Remus' eye-contact. "..No..."

"Then I suggest not failing," Remus said, ending the conversation. I gave him wondering eyes, begging to find out what he was thinking, but he looked away. I knew what that meant; his thoughts were of Tonks. Big shocker there, right? No? Just checking. I went to open my mouth to speak, but his eyes flashed back to me, and I choked on the words. I was quite frightened, really.

"Oh, Remus," said Mrs. Weasley, putting a hand on my shoulder. I jumped a little, as it was unexpected. "You've got the poor girl practically terrified! Can't you go a bit easier on her?"

"I'd much appreciate it, Molly," Remus said with a little bit of sting in his voice, "if you could refrain from telling me what or what not to do in the disciplining of my daughter."

If I could have read Mrs. Weasley's mind, I'd've heard something like, "She's been like a daughter to me since the day Ron first introduced her, Harry, and Hermione to us! How dare you speak other wise!" But, alas, I could not, and therefore did not.

Instead, I heard Mr. Weasley speak. "Remus," he said, "There's no need to snap at her. After all, Molly's only trying to help. She does know quite a bit about punishing children; you are, after all, speaking with the woman who raised Fred and George."

Remus slumped down in his chair. He didn't like argueing with the Weasleys, and just didn't have the energy for it. Instead, he sighed and looked at the ground in a way that resembled a child being lectured.

I squeezed myself into his chair and smiled at him. He grinned back momentarily, then looked away.

"Hey." I said quietly into his ear so the others in the room didn't hear.

"What?" he whispered back.

"Love you, Dad." I kissed his cheek in a very daughterly way. He smiled, and even went red for a minute.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, laughing a little and pushing me about an inch away. I didn't blame him. I'd probably have done the same thing if he had kissed me and said, "Love you, Soph."

I giggled to myself, thinking about what he would do if he knew that the lips that just kissed his cheek had been against Percy Weasley's lips not an hour before. ***_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Maybe ten minutes later, Mrs. Weasley said she was going to make dinner. I offered to help, and she gladly accepted. We walked to the Burrow's kitchen and began to create a meal.

"So, Mrs. Weasley," I started. I really wanted to get along with her. Hopefully she'd one day be my mother-in-law. "How's, er, life going?"

"Wonderfully?" She replied awkwardly.

"That's great!" I said, putting everything I could in sounding happy, "Same for me. I mean, as well as possible with the Dark Lord around and all. We'll get him one day." I beamed.

"That's definately right, dear," said Mrs. Weasley with a smile as she cracked a few eggs.

I smiled at her. I put down the cooking utensils I had just picked up and hugged her. "Thank you so much."

"For what?" she asked.

I half shrugged. "Just being here, I guess." I decided to be truly honest with her. "I never had a mum, so it's good to have someone who treats me like their own."

Mrs. Weasley laughed and hugged me back. "No problem, dear, really. I've enjoyed your company for, what, seven years?"

Seven! That was right! I forgot about the time I accidentially flooed to the Burrow. I was ten and I thought the floo powder was glitter. I fell into the chimney as I was yelling something about how groundhogs live in burrows to Tonks in the other room. I'd been so scared. I allowed myself to flash back.

_A ten-year-old me stumbled out of the chimney, covered in smoke. I looked around the room, terrified of this unfamiliar place. A nine-year-old red-head looked up from the book she sat reading and said, "Daddy!"_

_"What's the matter, Ginny?" her father called in._

_"There's a girl here!" she replied, "She came out of the chimney! Must've flooed._

_Flooed? I thought to myself, what does that mean?_

_The girl's also red-haired father poked in the room. "Well, hello there!" He smiled, and I pulled back from the hand he extended to me, "It's ok, don't be afraid." He sounded like he was talking to a six-year-old._

_"I'm not a baby, you know," I said quite rudely, "I'm ten, not five."_

_"Oh, are you now?" He asked, raising an eyebrow._

_"Yes, I am." I snapped._

_"Molly, dear," the man shouted out of the room, "We've got a visitor; a little girl who's ten-years-old!"_

_"Have we?" His wife, Molly, said, coming into the room. "Why, Arthur, so we have!" She looked me over and saw the fear in my eyes. "Dear, are you all right? You look thoroughly terrified."_

_I looked away, not sure how to reply, and saw a picture on the mantle. It was two more red-haired children, but boys, much older than the girl who was in the room. Between them stood my cousin, Tonks. I walked over to the mantle and reached up for the picture, but couldn't reach._

_"Oh, that?" the man, Arthur, asked. "A picture of my eldest boys and there friend, that is. The smaller of the two, Charlie, graduates Hogwarts next year." Hogwarts? "His brother, Bill, graduated last year. Their friend is older, though, she graduated-.."_

_"Two years ago," I finished for him._

_"How'd you know that, dear?" Molly asked._

_I pointed up at Tonks in the picture: "Cousin Tonks."_

_"That's your cousin?" Arthur laughed, "Well, then, you're certainly welcome here! I'm Arthur Weasley, and that's my wife, Molly." He pointed the young girl. "This is our youngest child, Ginny."_

_"Mum?" asked another red-haired child, walking into the room. He looked about my age. "Dad? What's going on?"_

_"This is Ron," Mrs. Weasley said. "Ron, we have a guest; Tonks' cousin..." She turned to me, "What's your name, sweetie?"_

_"Sophie," I said, a smile playing on my lips, "I'm Sophie Jamison."_

I sighed as I sturred the soup, thinking about this first meeting. It was the first day I met Percy... The day I started fancying him. I daydreamed about these kind of things, but was snapped out of it by Mrs. Weasley.

"Dear, you can stop sturring now," she said. Her facial expression told me it hadn't been the first time she said so, just that it was the first time I'd heard. "It's ready.

"Oh!" I realized, "Sorry, Mrs. Weasley!"

"Dear, you'll be of age tomorrow," she smiled, "Perhaps you should start calling me Molly?"

I thought about this a moment. Was she being serious? Just trying to see how I'd react? Testing me? "I'd much rather keep it as Mrs. Weasley, ma'am," I said finally. She smiled. Apparantly, I passed the test.

We finished cooking and sat down at the dinner table. I stuck myself between my dad (Remus) who I was quite getting used to, and Ron. I smiled at him, and he smiled back. Ron never ceased to amaze me; he was such a good friend. Well, true, him and Hermione were quarreling, but it was only because they were both too stubborn to admit they were in love.

I had a sudden thought; should I tell him about Percy? I mean, we'd agreed not to tell anyone, but this was Ron. I never kept anything from him. Well, that's not true, but I never kept anything this monumental from him. I stared into space, more through Ron than at him.

"Sophie?" Ron asked in a whisper, noticing my blank stare. "Are you ok?" He waved a hand in front of my face. "Sophie!"

"Huh?! Wha?!" I said, snapping back to realitiy.

"Are you... all right?" he asked, and Dad (Remus) put a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to face him.

"Is something wrong?" he inquired.

"Hmm?" was the first thing out of my mouth. I tried to laugh off my own ignorance. "Oh, yeah, of course! I mean, everything's wonderful for me right now, Dad, simply wonderful." I definately wasn't lying.

"If you're sure..." Dad/Remus said slowly.

"I am," I said sincerely, "And how are you?"

"I'm... fine..." he replied awkwardly. I smiled and turned around back to Ron.

"Quit grinning like that, Soph," Ron requested, "You're creeping me out."

I turned back to my plate in front of me, but I couldn't whipe that smile off of my face. It felt perminate. I liked that idea.

I woke up grinning the next day as a wonderful feeling flooded through my body. I was of age. No longer could I not do magic outside of school. I could do magic whenever I wanted, so long as I was not around muggles. I couldn't help but squeel, or maybe more like scream, in excitement.

I got up and looked at the clock. It read four thirty-three. Perfect timing, I thought, as that was my exact time of birth. I was truly seventeen. I through on a black sleeveless shirt, jeans with some rips, a sweater that Mrs. Weasley had made with a big "S" on it in Slytherin colors, and walked over to the mirror. I lined my eyes with black and applied green eye-shadow. Mascara, blush, and lip-gloss finished the look. Only one thing was left: my hair.

What to do with hair that could be any color, any length? I decided to go with long, black, and wavy. It just felt right. I looked at my reflection. The woman staring back at me too closely resembled Aunt Bella Dearest, so I changed my hair to blonde and smiled in satisfaction. As it was a real yellow-ish blonde, I didn't look too much like Aunt Narcissa.

Nobody but Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were awake yet. I saw them downstairs in the livingroom once I'd ventured all the way down the stairs and lived. They greeted my warmly with birthday wishes.

"I'm of age!" I exclaimed happily, but quietly so as not to wake anyone.

"Yes, dear, you are," Mrs. Weasley smiled, but her eyes looked sad. Like she'd been crying. And I could see a wet patch on the shoulder of Mr. Weasley's jacket.

"Is something wrong?" I asked stupidly. Of course something was wrong.

"Same thing as what's been wrong since last year, I'm afraid," Mr. Weasley said. Instantly, I understood. It must've been about Percy having came and left.

"H-he took more of his things!" Mrs. Weasley half-sobbed.

"He did?" I hadn't even noticed him take more bags when he left.

"Yes, he did," Mr. Weasley replied solomnly. "You were in his room when he came up. Didn't you notice?"

"I hadn't noticed him take anything," I said, mostly being honest.

"D-did he say anything?" Mrs. Weasley asked, drying her eyes. "Like i-if he's ever c-coming back?"

I scanned my memories of that evening. A most wonderful evening it had been. "Not that I remember," I replied finally.

"Are you sure?" Mrs. Weasley persisted.

"I'd tell you if he said anything about his family, for sure," I reassured.

"A-all right, dear," said Mrs. Weasley, trying her hand at a smile. "Thank you f-for trying."

"I will always try, Mrs. Weasley," I promised, then smiled at Mr. Weasley, who grinned back.

"Well, you should get some more sleep," Mr. Weasley said to me, but I shook my head.

"I'd much rather stay awake, maybe pop over to the Death Eater's headquarters..." I replied, "See what's going on."

"Right then," Mrs. Weasley smiled, her tears done for now, "Off you go, then."

"I, er, can't apparate," I confessed, "Is my motorcycle still outside?"

"Of course," Mr. Weasley replied.

"Thank you," I said, hugging both individually, then taking my leave.

I rode over to Malfoy Mannor, parked outside, and walked up to the house. I knocked on the door and, as it was five in the moring, expected no answer. Instead, I was greeted by Uncle Rudolphus.

"Sophia?" He questioned, "What are you doing here?"

I pulled up the left sleeve on my sweater. "I am a Death Eater. Just because I'm at school most of the time..."

"Ahh, yes," he smirked, "I'd forgotten, as you're never around."

"Yes, well, as the Dark Lord knows, I've got reasons," I replied.

"Well, come in then," Rudolphus said finally, and I came with him inside. "Do keep up," he added, and meant for me to follow him. I did.

We went down numorous winding hallways until we came to the meeting room. There, before me, was the Dark Lord. As he commanded me to sit, I gulped, then did so.

"Yes, My Lord?" I said, curious why I'd been brought to this room to see him.

"Is Draco completing his mission?" the Dark Lord hissed.

"I'm unsure, My Lord," I replied honestly, "I was never informed what the mission was to be." I noticed Bellatrix standing confidentally beside her Master. I added, "Aunt Bella forgot to tell me."

He turned to her. "Is this true, Bellatrix?"

"My Lord," she began, "I was never told she was to be informed. I assure, had I been told to brief her, I'd have done so in a heartbeat."

"You weren't told to?!" He snapped, "Do I have to tell you every little thing you are to do?! You can't simply tell her what is going on because she is one of my loyal servants and needs to know?!"

"My Lord, I apologize most sincerely," Aunt Bella Dearest sputtered, "I was unaware you wanted her informed."

"Of course I want her informed!" the Dark Lord shouted, "Who else will keep track of Draco's progress while he is at school?! Yes, Severus is, but we need more than one keeping track of the boy!"

I cringed with Bellatrix as the Dark Lord struck her across the face. He said, "I expect much more of you, Bellatrix!"

"I'm sorry, Master," she practically sobbed, "I'll do better next time! I've always been one of the most loyal of sevants all these years!"

He opened his mouth to speak, but what came out was not what he had first wanted to say. "You are lucky you've provided for me so well in the past, or you would be in an awful lot more of trouble."

"So.. what is his mission?" I ventured, half expecting to be struck aswell.

"Draco," he said, "has been assigned to murder a certain wizard who's always in our way."

"Surely not Harry Potter!" I exclaimed, "I thought you planned on finishing him yourself, My Lord?"

"Of course not!" Bellatrix shrieked in laughter.

"That's enough Bellatrix!" the Dark Lord spoke, and she became silent. He turned back to me. "Not Harry Potter, as I will finish him myself, as you remembered. Draco will be killing Dumbledore."

My eyes bulged from their sockets and my hair grew long, white, and straight in shock. I bolted to a standing position and spoke thoughtlessly, "Dumbledore?! But isn't he too much for Draco? He's only a sixth year!"

"Silence!" He commanded. "You are not questioning your Lord, are you, Jamison? Or should I say, 'Lupin'?"

"No, never!" I replied hastily, "I'm meerly wondering why you picked Draco, My Lord."

"You've no right to wonder!" the Dark Lord screamed, "You are to make sure he completes his mission. Do not assist him unless he is having other Death Eaters assistance, as well. Do not do it for him. He must do this himself, or I shall kill him."

"Yes, My Lord," I said, bowing as deep as I could manage.

"You may go now," he dismissed, "I've no longer reason to speak to you presently. Go watch Draco."

I bowed again and left the room. I climbed the stairs to Narcissa and Lucius' empty bedroom. I sat on the edge of the bed and cried for my cousin, grieving in advance. ***_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

There I was, sobbing my eyes out, when I felt a small, cool hand on my shoulder. I snapped around to see Narcissa behind me. Her eyes couldn't like; she was deeply concerned to the cause of my tears.

"What's wrong, dear?" Aunt Narcissa asked sweetly. "Are you all right?"

"D-draco..." I stuttered through my tears, "H-his 'mission'.." I didn't want to say too much and upset her. She must've been even more distraught about this than I was.

"Yes, I know," she replied quietly.

"Wh-what are we going t-to do?" I demanded of no one, "There's no way h-he can do this!"

Narcissa's eyes met the floor as she said, "I don't know, Sophia, I just don't know." The sincere sadness in both her voice and eyes could force anyone, even Sirius, had he been alive, to see her as I did: a good person with a little confusion and a few bad choices.

"What do I do?" I asked. "How do I help him?"

"Oh, Sophia!" Narcissa exclaimed, "You aren't meaning how to help him kill Dumbledore, are you? Surely you mean how you can help him escape with his life!"

"Aunt Cissy," I replied, "I'm pretty convinced those are one in the same. I love Dumbledore, but, for sure, I love my cousin more. How can I help him?"

"I-I have Severus helping h-him," she stuttered, "B-but he doesn't w-want help. I d-don't think you can."

"I'll try," I said, putting my smaller, warmer hand on the one she placed on my shoulder. "I made my promise to him years ago. I protect him, he protects me. We're family."

"Aww," said Bellatrix's cold voice as she entered the room, "Having a lovely family moment without Aunt Bella, are we?"

I bit my lip, not wanting to snap at her, or I'd be giving up my own secret. Instead of yelling, I replied coolly, "Yes, sorry. Thought you were still with the Dark Lord. Our apologizes." Narcissa nodded in agreement.

"So, what was this about loving old Dumbledore, little Sophie?" She questioned, and my heart sank. She'd been standing in the doorway longer than I had thought.

"She simply meant she loves all he taught her, Bella," Cissy covered, "If you heard that, than you also heard her say she plans on helping my Draco."

"You're all so worried about Draco!" Bellatrix stated, "If I had a million sons, I'd gladly give them all up for the cause!"

"Yes, but you don't, Bella," Narcissa snapped coldly, "And I've only got one. You can offer as many of the sons you don't have for the cause, but I'd much prefer keeping my only son!"

I had to resist the urge to shout, "Burn!"

"Cissy!" Bellatrix hissed, "Isn't it obvious that the cause is greater than one boy named Malfoy?"

"Not when he's my son!" Narcissa said firmly.

"....Well, then," Bellatrix said, then turned to me. "How's school, little Sophie?" she cooed, wiggling a finger close to my face. It was so hard not to bite her.

"Fine, I suppose," I said instead, "Failing some classes, but who cares, really? I've got more important things ahead, I think."

"Atta girl!" Bellatrix hissed, pleased with me. "That's how it should be! Much more important things ahead, yes!"

I spied a clock; ten fourty-five. "Perhaps I should be returning..." I said quietly.

"Of course you should!" Bellatrix smirked, "You've got places to be! Off with you!" She smacked my hind-end with a broom and waved at me affectionately. God, I hated that woman.

I went outside and climbed on my motorcycle. Without a second thought, I drove, but in the opposite direction from which I came. I had somewhere else to go. ***_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	7. Christmas Day to February 12th

It was cold on my motorcycle. Driving at speeds I didn't even want to measure in winter wasn't the best idea. To anyone who saw me, I looked like I was just driving for the sake of driving. This was untrue. I knew quite well where I was going.

The ride was long and tiring. My hair was completely standing on end from the wind when I arrived. I drove up the path and over the hill. Headstones surrounded me as I made my way to two stones specifically. The stones read:

SARABELLE VENUS (BLACK) JAMISON JACOB CHRISTOPHER JAMISON JR. 1962-1984 married January 4th, 1979 1960-1996

I hadn't come up since he'd died. His stone looked very nice, and was as close to hers as possible. True, since he'd gone through the veil there was no body, but, when Mum died, he specifically told Tonks he wanted his headstone next to hers. She's obviously followed her uncle's wishes. I sighed, looking down at the small stone right above them.

SIRIUS JACOB JAMISON 1983-1984

A tear dripped down my cheek as I re-read the same stone over and over. My poor little brother never had a chance. He wasn't even a full year old when he died. It was mid-January and the road was icey. Dad lost control and ended up cutting off a truck. Both drivers came out with only a few minor injuries, but my brother was hurt badly. The muggle medics came and took him away to a hospital in an abulance, where he died. They didn't let my Dad go with them. During the accident was the last time anyone saw him. Mum was completely distraught when we got the body back. It was so distorted from the injuries that it was hard to tell if this was even my brother. She claimed it wasn't, but no one believed her. She'd gotten pretty bonkers by that point.

I sighed and wiped my cheek as I read each stone once more. "Happy Christmas," I whispered to them.

"Happy Christmas to you, too!" said a voice behind me, and I spun around. A boy, possibly fourteen, stood before me.

"I was, er, talking to my parents.." I said, "But Happy Christmas, anyway."

"These are your parents?" the boy asked, raising an eyebrow, "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure," I replied, confused, "Why wouldn't I know my own parents' graves?"

"No reason," the boy shrugged, then inspected Mum, Dad, and little Sirius' stones. "I've heard the name 'Sirius' before. Sirius Black. Escaped from Azkaban, didn't he?"

"You're.. a wizard?" I more stated than asked. "Y'know how bad it could've been if you said Azkaban and I was a muggle?"

"Real bad," he laughed. When I looked horrified, he said, "Your wand's sticking out of your pocket."

"Oh!" I laughed, "Do you go to Hogwarts?"

"Yes," he said, "I've seen you around. I'm a fourth year Hufflepuff. That's why you don't really know me."

"Ah," I said. "So, who around here is yours?"

He pointed at a stone a few down from my parents. "That's my Mum. I'm Soren Calebs." He stared hard at my parents' stones again before adding, "I think I've heard those names before..."

"Really?" I asked, "I'm Sophia Lupin, by the way. How have you heard them?"

"Not sure," Soren shrugged. "Oh well. I'll think of it eventually. See you at school!" With that, he left. I got on my motorcycle and drove back to the Burrow.

I parked outside and walked back up the house. I knocked on the door, answered the question I was asked, and walked on inside. I sighed and went up to my (Percy's) room. Looking in the mirror, a face unrecognizable looked back. She, in the mirror, wore my clothes, but she looked different. Somehow older, more mature looking was this girl. Her eyes were blue and her hair was sapphire and down her back. I tied my hair up with a black ribbon, and the mirror girl matched my movements. Of course, I knew it was me, but somehow I just seemed different. I shrugged, not really caring.

I thought of Draco's mission and my promise. I shook my head at the mess we'd gotten ourselves into. I considered telling some of the Order, but then they would protect Dumbledore. Draco would fail. He'd die. I wouldn't let that happen. I sighed again, and put my face in my hands. Harry would be able to tell I was hiding something, most likely. Then he'd hate me again. I supposed I could make up with him at a later date and didn't worry too much.

Things were so stressing. I tried to think of the last time I'd been relaxed. I remembered clearly. Last night. In this room. With Percy. I was so happy then. I wanted to recapture that feeling. I decided to climb out the window (as I hated all those freaking stairs) and hopped back on my motorcycle. I drove to the place I knew I could find him: the Ministry.

When I got there, it was easy enough getting into the visitors enterence. I was given a sticker to wear that said, "SOPHIA LUPIN, VISITOR," and put it on my chest. For a little while, I wandered aimlessly, looking for Percy's office, if he had one.

I wandered passed a door that said, "DOLORES JANE UMBRIDGE," and tried to speed-walk away from it, but stopped about twenty steps away when I heard the creak of a door and a little, "hem-hem" behind me. I turned around, but I didn't want to, and walked back.

"Hello, Dolores," I said, faking a smile to the woman I hated possibly more than all else.

"What," asked the girlish voice of the old hag, "are you doing here, in the Ministry?"

"Just, eh," I casually lied, "looking around, I s'pose."

"Still looking for trouble?" scoffed Umbridge, "You've always found it, haven't you?"

"Yes, ma'am," I said honestly. "But this time, trouble's definately found me."

"Right you are," she scowled, "You've no business, wandering in the Ministry. You seemed like you were looking for someone. Who is it? That cousin of yours?"

"No," I answered truthfully. "I'm not looking for her. And her name's Tonks. She's a beautiful, kind, loving woman with a heart as big as her brain!" I added in a mutter, "Unlike you.."

"Sure she is," Umbridge shrugged. "Who are you looking for?"

"A friend," I replied quickly.

"It would help you find them if you told me who it is," she hinted.

"Not a chance," I said, rolling my eyes. "Can I go now?"

"I suppose," she sighed, "Shoo shoo then."

I walked off and searched a while more. Then I realized, as the Minister's assistant, his office was probably inside the Minister's office. And to said office I went. I took off my cloak and wrapped it up in itself to look like a present. When an assistant eyed me as I entered, I pointed to Percy's office and mouthed, "Delivery." She whispered back, "Go on in," and I nodded.

Inside sat Percy at his desk. He jumped a foot in the air as I entered and stuttered, "What a-are you doing here?!"

"Got bored and lonely," I pouted. "I missed you."

"Sophie," he reminded me, "I just saw you yesterday."

"That was forever ago!" I complained, and he smiled.

"Hold on," Percy said, digging into his pockets, "I've got just the thing to keep you from getting lonely."

He pulled out a sea-shell on a necklace. "A shell?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Trust me," he smirked, "Listen to it when you get back to the Burrow, but not before; you'll hear something quite a bit better than the ocean, I think." He hooked it around my neck.

"Does that mean I have to go?" I asked sadly, pouting again.

"Sorry, but yes," he replied, "You'll get me in trouble."

"Fine, I'll go," I sighed, "But I won't like it."

"I won't like it either," said Percy before kissing my cheek and motioning me towards the door. "Off with you now."

"All right, all right!" I giggled. The following three words came out thoughtlessly: "I love you." His ears went bright red, like Ron's often did, and I left with my head tucked down, my cheeks completely flushed. ****____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Back at the Burrow, I held up the shell to my ear and listened. Instead of the expected sounds of the ocean, I heard his voice whispering, "I love you, Sophia.." I squeeled happily and turned to Ginny, who was staring at me like I was crazy.

"Want to listen?" I offered without thinking.

I held it to her ear and she said with a nod, "The ocean. Nice."

"Wha?!" I chuckled, "Not the ocean! Don't you hear it?"

"I hear the ocean, Soph," Ginny replied.

I held it to my own ear again. "Sophia.." it whispered.

"It's not-..!" I said, then stopped dead, a silly grin spreading across my face. "I mean, yeah, the ocean!" It must've been a magic shell.

"Yeah, I noticed.." Ginny said awkwardly, "You're getting kind of weird, Soph."

"Das ist Lieben," I shrugged happily.

"Wha?" she asked, "Soph, I don't speak German!"

"That's love," I grinned. I spoke quite fluent German as I my paternal grandfather came directly from Germany. My bilangual side came out whenever I was emotional.

"Oooo!" Ginny squeeled, "Love, eh? What's his name? Where's he from? Do I know him?"

"In order?" I replied, "Yes, love. Can't tell you his name. From England, as the rest of us are. And I certainly hope you know him!"

"Love's exciting. Why not? I figured as much. And how do I know him?" she asked, keepy tracked quite well of what came before or after what.

"Exciting is an understatement. Just can't. Where he's from what a stupid question. And I also can't tell you that," I said, keeping track well myself.

"I wouldn't know. Why not? Yeah, it was. Again, why not?"

"You know you know. Because. Ha, ha. Again, because," I said as I face-palmed.

"This is confusing," Ginny laughed. "But anyway, tell me how it happened?"

"Wir trafen uns auf Zeit vor, und ich immer glaubte ihm und er anscheinend glaubt mich zur ck, und-" I said in one breath.

"I. Don't. Speak. German!" she shouted, shaking me.

"I said we met a long time ago and I always fancied him and apparantly he fancies me back, and it's wonderful, Ginny!" I said quickly and excitedly.

"I bet it is," Ginny shrugged, "But again, I wouldn't know."

"Oh, du weisst, was Liebe ist wie! Sie lieben Harry, gebe es zu!" I laughed. She glared at me.

"Must I repeat myself? I don't speak German." Ginny sighed.

I grinned. "Exactly." What I had said was, "Oh, you do know what love is like! You love Harry, admit it!" but I wasn't about to tell her that. She'd've killed me.

"What did you say, anyway?" she asked, "I heard something about Harry.."

"I said no such thing," I said, pretending to be offended. "Maybe you're just obsessed with him?"

"Am not!" she said, then smacked me.

I sighed. "Does Dean know about this?"

"Ish...." she began, then moved her gaze to the floor. "No..."

"Things'll fall into place," I said, putting a hand on her shoulder cheesily. "I promise."

A while later, I decided to return to my mother's journal. I hadn't read any for a while, so I had almost forgotten where I was. Luckily, I had used a bookmark. Though, I didn't feel like reading from there. I skipped to the last day of her fourth year.

_On this day, I felt as though my heart was breaking. I'd have only Cissy next year. Everyone else I knew and cared for was graduating. Jake, Remus, Sirius, James, Lily, Severus..._

I put the book down. Severus? When did that happen? I thought she hated him? I flew back to the page that seemed like it was good timing and read from there.

_"Damn it, Severus!" I yelled at him, "Why do you have to do that?!"_

_"Do what?" he asked stupidly. Such an oblivous git he was sometimes!_

_"Argh!" I shouted frustratedly, and hit him once more with my book. "Why do you have to be so honest with me, so brutally honest that I can't help feel bad for you, now that I have a reason to hate you?!"_

_He didn't reply so I carried on. "Now I have to pretend to hate you when I like you.... Such a switch of things! Damn you!"_

Confused, I turned to the page right before this one. It had been torn out, and the last entry had ended the day before this one. Leave it to Mum to rip out the most critical part of the story. I sighed and flipped the journal shut. I peeked at a clock to see it was now evening, and the sun was sinking below the horizon. My stomache told me food was required, and so I went down to the kitchen of the Burrow and opened the fridge. Bored by the lack of variety, I yawned into the food. A michevious grin played on my lips as I decided to test my ability; without a single training session completed correctly, I was going to attempt to apparate. I figured I'd probably leave an ear behind, but who cared about an ear? I'd still have another. I had to get it right sometime. Plus, I didn't feel like riding. I concentrated hard on where I was and where I wanted to go. My eyes pinched shut, afraid of what mess of blood might be seen. I felt a hard breeze like hurricane winds. A cracking sound was heard, and when I opened my eyes, the scene had changed. I'd been successful!

The room I now viewed was somewhat dark. It was a dining room, but the table looked as though it had never been used. Dozens of china sets sat in a glass case gathering dust. None were ever eaten on. A wooden buffet lined the back wall with a mirror that was the same length was above it. On either side of the room were portraits. These were muggle portraits, one of a man and one of a woman, so neither moved. They just smiled.

Pinned onto the bottom left corner of the mirror was a small, magic photo. I gazed closely. In it, four girls were smiling, laughing, and shoving each other. The tallest girl was probably sixteen, and her black hair ran down in front of her left eye. The next oldest was brown haired, and about fourteen. She looked a lot like the other girl. Next to them were two smaller girls. One had very light blonde hair and big, gray, innocent eyes. She seemed lost, like she didn't quite belong with these three others. She pleaded to fit in and be like the olders. The fourth girl was about the size of the average three-year-old. Her eyes were round and sky blue with shimmers of white dancing across like clouds. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and black, like the tallest. It was less messy, however. As the four girls, sisters, pushed each other, the oldest lifted up the light blonde haired one while the brunette picked up the smallest one. The older two exchanged smiles before bursting into laughter. Thoughtlessly, I snatched the photo and tucked it into my pocket.

"Hey, Sophie's here!" Exclaimed a familiar voice behind me. I spun around to face the owner of this house, my Uncle, Ted Tonks. "Dromeda, Dora, Soph is here!" I waved happily, and he tugged me into the living room. Wooden trays sat in front Aunt Andromeda, Tonks, and his empty chair. Andromeda waved affectionately and Tonks smiled a little bit. Her hair was still so dreadfully mousy, and now it seemed she was loosing the ability to really enjoy herself. I noted mentally that I needed to have a talk with that adopted father of mine.

"Glad to see y-.." Andromeda began, but then let out a little scream, staring pointedly at me.

"What?" I asked stupidly, "Something in my teeth?"

Tonks now noticed whatever was so bad, as well. "Soph!" she shouted, pointing at my pants. "Your leg!"

I looked down at my left pantleg and noticed it was soaked in blood. Tucking up the jeans revealed a deep cut running up the length of my leg, almost all the way to my thigh. "Well, what do you know?" I laughed, "I splinched myself." I shrieked right after as the pain just now sank in, then crumbled to the ground.

"How did you splinch yourself?" Tonks asked as she came over and helped me up.

"I rubbed my leg against a sword," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes, "What do you think? I apparated here."

"You can do that now?" Andromeda asked.

I nodded, then added, "Not very well, it appears."

"That's one thing I'll never understand, that is," Ted said, shaking his head. "Apparation. You're one place and then before you can even blink, you're somewhere else! Like teleportation.." Wordlessly, Andromeda healed my splinched leg, then cleaned it of all blood.

"Yeah...." I said absently, then changed the subject abruptly. "I'm hungry." I looked at Andromeda. "You're a good cook. Fix my stomache please?"

She laughed, then headed to her messy, cramped kitchen. I stayed at the Tonks residence the rest of the evening until I apparated back to the Burrow after nightfall. I stood in the living room until my newly re-splinched leg collapsed under me, at which time I fell to the floor. I layed there, too lazy to get up or heal myself. I just bled there silently, not wanting to shout and disturb the Weasleys and Harry. I figured I was alone. After all, it was nine at night. The Weasleys tended to go to bed around eight, eight-thirty. I heard a crack, then a surprised outcry. It took me a minute to realize the crack was a redhaired figure stepping on my non-splinched leg, and the scream was his response to me, what with being on the floor and all.

"Well, hey there!" I laughed between twinged of pain from both legs. The one was obviously cracked. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Sophia?" asked the redheaded. He leaned down where I could see him, and instantly I recognized him as Mr. Weasley. "Why are you on the floor? And what did you do to your leg?!"

"I can apparate!" I smiled, "Well, not so well, I guess. Two times I've apparated and both times I splinch myself!"

"Y-you apparated?!" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Yes, I did," I said truthfully, "Can you heal my splinch? And while your at it, can you heal my other leg, too? You've cracked it by stepping on ,me.." With a wave of the wand, my pains were cured, and before I could protest, I was somehow in "my" room.

Returning to school after Christmas stunk. Back to drama, back to detentions when I mouthed off, back to failing grades and protests. It was half-way through the year. January snow blanketed the ground as we who had gone home for Christmas returned. Technically, some off us didn't go "home," but the idea was the same. I felt like I went home.

Weeks went by slowing. Calenders turned. I continued to receive low marks, which often landed me in detention. Against my objections, I had now started being... tutored. Oh, how I hated that word! Tutors were for stupid children who didn't understand their work. Two out of the three classes I was failing purposely, and the other.. Well, I understood it, but nothing worked for me when I tried it. I could say, think, and move my wand perfectly, but instead of turning my pig into a desk, the pig would somehow become an exact scale model of Hogwarts. Impressive, yes, but not what was wanted. The grading process is wonderful, isn't it?

More days went by. February came. I had heard nothing of Percy except for the shell he'd given to me that had captured his voice. Harry grew more and more suspitious of Draco by each passing day. He grew more suspitious of me, as well. Again he began to doubt my alligence, but every time I reminded him of my loyalties to not only him, but to my family, also. As long as there were family, real, loving family, of mine on his side, I would be on his side. Tonks, Aunt Andromeda, Uncle Ted, Dad. All of them were my family. But yet, Draco and Narcissa were on the other side and my family. I kept the last part to myself.

The toll of February days continued. It was nearly half-way through the month. Dad's rejection of Tonks really took its toll by now. Her eyes had rings about them and she always looked as if she'd just been sobbing. Her hair was still mousy and brown, but now, she'd given up brushing it for the most part. All-in-all, she looked awful. I knew Dad felt horrible about it, but I wasn't quite sure he felt as badly as she did. Poor Tonks. On the twelve of the month, I received the summon I'd been dying for. Scraper, my pet falcon (long story why I had a falcon instead of an owl) brought me a letter. It was wonderfully written on the outside, so I ripped it open, craving its message more than air.

"_Dearest Sophia_," my letter read, "_It is Thursday on which I right to you. Saturday is, of course, Valentine's Day. I request your presence at my home around four of clock into the evening. My address is enclosed in this letter. Getting permission to leave Hogwarts shan't be difficult; everyone around school grounds knows I am worthy of trust and shall have you returned to school before curfew. I await your presence. Love, Percival Ignatius Weasley_."

I clawed through my belongings with me for a paper and something to write with. When the preceeding were finally located, I scribbled down a response.

"_Dear Percy_," I wrote, "_You write with really big words and proper terms, y'know that? But that's besides the point. (See diagram.) I would love to! Can't wait to come! Love, Sophia Lily-Joanna Lupin. P.S. Why are we signing with our full names_?"

I folded it up tightly, squished it into an envelope, kissed it gently, then gave it to my lovely falcon.

"Now, Scraper," I said to the beautiful bird, "This letter is important. Don't tear it up in your talon's, all right?" I kissed his head. "Good boy. Now, off with you." Scraper oblidged and took flight. I watched him go and sighed in a happiness as I thought of Percy, a happiness only surpassed by actually being in his presence, his warmth, his arms. ******__________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	8. Missing Page

**A/N: This chappie isn't for the immature. If you can't deal with awkward conversations about.. adult things.. this chappie is not for you. You have been warned :P**

Scraper was off taking my letter to Percy, and I couldn't sit still. My fingers jittered, my leg bounced, and the rest of me just sort of had to go along with the ride. Deciding the so-called "stillness" was driving me mad, I stood up and skipped to Severus's office. The walk (or rather, skip) was long, but I had almost too much energy, so it was okay. Plus, I was in too good a mood to even care. My skip turned to a run half-way there, which caused me to trip, which caused me to slow back to a skip again. Eventually, I arrived in Severus's office.

I glanced around suspitiously. It was suprisingly messy and unorginized, a very un-Severus-like sight. His desk was coated in papers, and some scattered themselves across the floor. All of his candles were out, but still smoking. His desk chair was spun around, not pushed in, and just plain in the way. A picture had fallen from the wall and now sat against the floor, the glass shattered. It wasn't a magic picture, though. It was a muggle picture. The lady in the picture had green eyes and red hair. She was really pretty. I felt she was familiar, like we shared something, like I knew her, but I couldn't put my finger on how.

"Sophia?" asked Severus's cold voice from behind me. I felt his breath on the back of my neck, and the hairs stood on end. "What are you doing here? You shouldn't be here."

"Severus!" I spun around, accidentally stepping on the picture of the beautiful woman. He cringed involentarily.

"What," he said, "are you doing here?"

"I needed to ask you something," I said calmly, "I would like permission to leave grounds this weekened. Saturday, actually."

"Where will you be going?" he asked, his voice like daggars, cutting the air on its way to my ears, "If you are asking, you surely have somewhere specific in mind?"

"I'm going to visit Tonks," I lied quickly. My face stayed straight, unlike when I usually lied to him. I didn't want him knowing where I was really going. "I need to be there at four-thirty."

"Odd, visiting your cousin on Valentine's Day.." Severus said, the statement an accusation in itself.

"Trying to hook her up with my-.. with Remus," I explained.

"Ah," he said, "Well, as your head-of-house, I suppose it would be all right. What time will you be arriving, so I know to open the doors?"

"About ten," I said.

"Ten it is," Severus nodded, "No later. Go, then, do whatever it is that you are putting off to be here."

February fourteenth came 'round in a heartbeat. Around four o' clock, I left the grounds to be at Tonks' house by four-thirty. I had a plan.

At four-twenty I sprang up her driveway, running as fast as possible. A moment later, I pounded on her door quickly, anxiously, in such a rush I'd never known before. I kept pounding, even after the door opened.

"Ow!" she said, at which I stopped. "Oh, wotcher, Soph. What are you doing here?"

"I need your help," I said quickly, then stepped inside hastily.

"With what?" Tonks asked.

"So, there's this boy..." I began. "I really like him. Actually, I love him."

"Wow! Congratulations, Soph!" Tonks faked cheer. She was upset about Remus, clear by her mousy hair.

"He's out of school.. I told Severus I was coming here.. I'm going to his place.." I explained, "If anybody asks you, I want you to lie and say that I was here. Please?"

"Sure, Soph, no problem!" she smiled, "But, can I ask who will be there?"

"Just me and him," I said dreamily.

"Soph... You should.. Just be... Make sure..." she stuttered. Her facial expressions gave away what my cool cousin wanted to say clearly: "CONDOM!"

"If you're trying to discuss... that.. don't worry! He's not the type to just jump into.. that.. when I'm still in school. He would never pressure me into doing anything I don't want to do," I reassured.

Tonks raised an eyebrow. "It's not him I'm worried about, Sophia."

I laughed; I couldn't help it! "Oh, Tonks! Little ol' me?!" She gave me the, "are you serious?" look, so I added in a haste, "He would never go that far, even if I wanted to."

"All right," Tonks grinned, "Go then. Have fun. Be back to school on time."

"I will, I promise!" I squeeled, hugged her, then apparated to Percy's, excitement whelling up inside me, ready to burst. I was ready for it to burst, and relying on it. *****___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I managed to not splinch myself, and by six to five, I was outside Percy's apartment building. As I walked to his apartment, my heart pounded in my ears and my breath came in faster, shorter pants. Eventually, I came to his door. It was three to five. My hand trembled, and I was afraid to knock. Maybe it was a trick? Maybe he just wanted to break my heart? No, I knew him better than that. A Weasley would, and could, never purposely hurt anyone. It wasn't in their nature. I sucked it up, all my doubt, fear, and hurt, and knocked on the door. Instantly, it flew open, as if he had been waiting for me.

"Sophia!" Percy beamed, "So glad you came! Y'know it's two minutes after, and I was beginning to think you'd decided not to come."

"Oh, Percy," I smiled, "You talk too much." And so I shut him up. A minute later, he blushed and invited me inside. Gladly, I entered. His apartment was everything I expected: simple, beautiful, and, most of all, clean. He sat down on his couch, and I sat next to him, so close I could feel his breath. Faking a yawn, I let my head droop on his shoulder.

"So, what are we doing today?" I sighed.

"Watching muggle movies," he replied, "I've never watched one before, but you might have."

I smiled. "Of course I have. They're great. What movie?"

"I found one called, 'Titanic'," said Percy. "Is that one okay?"

"Sure!" I said happily, though I hated the movie. It was long and boring (no offence to fans of the movie.) But, anyway, this was how it was. As the movie came on, I lifted my wand and a bowl of popcorn flew in to us. Happily, we sat munching until we ran out five minutes into the movie. The movie ran until about eight, at which time another was put in, but this time, a better movie. A timeless classic; Disney's Snow White.

It was when my eyelids grew heavy during the opening credits that I realized I didn't sleep very well the night before. At three A.M. my eyes snapped open and wouldn't be shut. I'd been too anxious. I pulled at my skirt, so very short, and the pattern ruffled. I lost track of everything while pulling that darn skirt, and my eyelids slid down, covering everything in sight with black and nothingness.

The next thing I knew, my eyes flicked open again. Percy sat, asleep, still under my cradled head. I sat up, stretched, and looked at my badly wrinkled clothes. The sun was glaring in through the window, as if to say, "Well, hello!" The clock read ten after seven, so it was day, the fifteenth. The grass was beautiful and green outside. The day was perfect until I realized something: it was day, and I had promised to be back at school nine hours previous.

"Percy!" I said, shaking him awake, "I have to go! We fell asleep!" I kissed his still dazed lips and disapparated. I was at the edge of school grounds, right before the aparation barrier. I had to walk the rest of the way.

There I was, standing outside the gate to get to the castle. In the cold. By myself. And then I was found. By Filch. He saw me, smirked, and stalked over towards the gate. Eyeing himself cautiously, I waved. There was nothing else to do.

"What," he said, cackling to himself (the crazy old squib), "is a lazy thing like you doing locked out of grounds this early on a Sunday morning?"

"Feeling sorry for myself?" I answered, my lower lip formed into a pout.

"Right you are," Filch smirked. He unlocked the door, and I stepped in. He grabbed me by the collar and practically dragged me up to the castle, through the hallways, and to Severus's office. Once there, Filch pushed me to the ground. At least I kicked his cat the night before..

"Right on time," Severus said sarcastically as he put away his watch.

"I can explain," I started as I got up most of the way. Filch pushed me back down.

"What kept you all night?" Severus demanded. "I told you ten o' clock to be back!"

"Okay, so this is what happened," I tried to explain coolly, "Tonks and I were watching a movie, and we fell asleep." It was partly true, just it wasn't Tonks. So it wasn't a real lie, right?

"Do not make excuses with me, Sophia!" he snapped, and Filch grinned at my suffering, showing his ugly yellow teeth, "I want the truth! Were you even with Tonks at all?!"

"Yes!" I replied hastily and honestly, "I was with Tonks!" Cringing for reasons unknown to me, my arms had flown up in front of my body and face protectively.

"Lies! Quit lying to me, lies do not work!" Severus growled, "Tell me the truth!"

"I am!" I insisted, and the next thing I knew, I was flying across the room, then I hit the wall, my crumpled form slid down to the floor. A red, hand-shaped mark made itself present across my cheek.

He hit me.

The realization sunk in like food poisoning. It hurt as I choked back tears and tried to let myself accept the fact at the same time.

"Sophia.." Severus said, quite in a panic at hurting me, "I didn't mean to.." Tears threatened to roll down my cheeks, at which he added, in almost a pleading tone, "Please do not cry.." His plea was in vain as the tears streaked down. I closed my eyes and sat in silence, ignoring all the words spoken.

"Sophia, stand, I beg you," he quivered. With only a glare, he shooed Filch from his office. Severus didn't want him to see him cry. I did nothing, not even move. Severus choked on his own breath. He didn't find the power to exhale until I did, deeply.

"I just... want.. the truth," he said slowly, "It's qu-quite important that I know where you were. Otherwise, I am required to call your guardian, Remus."

"I was with Tonks," I said with finality, lifting my head up and opening my eyes. I stared hard at him, then softened to ask coolly, "May I go now, Professor?"

Isn't it amazing how much damage simple words can do? All I said was, "May I go now, Profesor?" but it struck him as hard as if I had used much worse words. I had never referred to him as "Professor" before, even in class. It was Severus. No arguement, no discussion, Severus. The end.

"Yes, go to your dormitory," he sighed, cut down inside, "Change your clothes before someone sees you, as you're wearing the same clothes you were yesterday.."

"Good advice," I replied before rushing out the door. I stopped two steps outside, spun back around, and hugged my godfather tightly and wordlessly. Then I let go and went to Slytherin Common Room, and then to my room. *****___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For no real reason, perhaps it was boredom, I decided to shift through my trunk. Inside my trunk still were things I never used, looked at, or even needed, but always kept with me. These things were the following: an old teddy bear, a picture of me with Juliet and Lola in which I'm eight years old and Julie is giving me bunny-ears, a brass necklace my mother wore, and her favorite dress. I looked around to see if anyone else was in the room. No one was. I pulled out the dress and changed into it. Then I danced. Carelessly, I breezed about my corridors. The music playing only in my mind instructed me how to move like the voice of an instructor. My arms fluttered around until the landed on the pocket of the dress. It felt fat, so I let my hand sneek inside. The contents of the pocket felt papery, so I pulled them out. After looking it over only a moment, it sunk in; these were the missing pages from Mum's diary. Instantly, I slid down and, sitting on the cold floor, read them.

_School can cause dreadful things. People at school can cause even worse things. An example of this is what James and Sirius (Bless the idiots) chose to do today. Today, they ruined the life of Severus Snape._

_One this is for sure; that boy loves my best friend Lily. Another thing is certain; James does, too. Lily, I think, must care for both somewhere. If she didn't care about Snape to begin with, she wouldn't have stuck up for him. If she didn't care about James, she'd have blasted him to bits. So, yes, Lily was a confused, sad little girl._

_This dreadful day began like normal. It was after classes, after Quidditch practice ("Prongs, the future professional Quidditch player!") James and his sidekick Sirius decided to mess with Snape. Petti-screw-up followed, the pet that he is. Remus witnessed the event, but pretended not to by reading a book. A most clever cover, as books were his favorite hobby. Jake wasn't in sight. I will forever wonder what could have happened if he'd been there. Perhaps he could have stopped his friends from this crime against his other friend?_

_Sirius set off the event: "I'm bored." That began the termoil. James drew his wand and stalked threateningly up to Snape, who backed off, but James, Sirius, and their shadow Peter followed. Snape asked, or rather told, them to go away, but James, with a flick of the wand, had Snape upside down. Lily ran in sometime, commanding James to put down her friend. Snape called her a Mudblood. Lily ran. I don't know exactly what happened, I wasn't there. Everyone claimed I was, but I wasn't._

_I found Lily in the hall a few minutes after said events. She was bawling. I asked what was wrong, and she yelled that I knew. When I said I didn't, she informed me between sobs. And so I took matters into my own hands._

_I found Snape, scum that I thought he was, a little bit later. I wanted to hurt him, and, luckily for me, I had a potions textbook with me at the time. I ran up and hit him severely across the face, leaving a large red mark, which turned to a bruise._

_"You idiot!" I shouted, "How could you do that to my best friend!?"_

_"I deserve everything you do," he said quietly as I swung again. I just barely heard him, but I understood what he said well enough. I stopped my swing inches from his skull._

_"You.. what?" I stumbled, not comprehending the situation._

_"I said some bad things, but it slipped out. I didn't mean to say it. I would never hurt her on purpose," said Snape, "All I receive, I deserve. But, perhaps, she may forgive me. God, I pray it be so."_

_"You called her a Mudblood!" I shrieked, "How does that 'slip out'?"_

_"You've slipped it out before," he replied coldly._

_"I have to call her names around my family, mind you, or I'll be disowned!" I said, nearly in tears, "I-I can't live without my family! You've no excuse!"_

_"I know," was all he said. "Could you tell her I'm sorry? Ask her to forgive me? Please?" For once, I saw the innocent, young boy with big, scared eyes Lily had always told me was inside of him. I pitied him and, for once, had to control myself so as not to hug him._

That was the end of the entry. It all made sense now. Severus was friends with Lily, but he messed it all up. Severus was so honest with Mum that she couldn't help but feel bad for him. I felt connected to her, just reading this. I'd never really known her. I tried to convince everyone I hated her, and even convinced myself of it for a while. This hatred, all this hatred I pushed outward to show the world I wasn't like her, was a lie. It was my way of grieving I guess. She left on declared "suicide," even though I doubt it was her. I still clinged to the thought it was Bellatrix's fault. Some way. Some how. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**A/N: So yeah it's a shortie. But, hey, see that review button? Everytime you read a story and don't click that button, Dumbledore rapes a student. Please, think of the children!!**


	9. The Death of Dumbledore

The cold gusts of February were soon replaced with the equally strong but less freezing winds of March. In no time at all, March was gone and all that remained were the sudden and fierce downpours that characterized April. Things advanced quickly throughout this short period of time. The other Death Eaters were beginning to trust me a little more, and I felt like I almost wasn't pretending anymore when I smiled to them. It seemed like I was truly one of them, a feeling that scared me a little bit. Draco was starting to reveal to me his plans, plans I should have been reporting to the Order but swore to secrecy because Draco was my Draco, my cousin, my first, and one of my best, friend. Where or not he knew how yet to kill Dumbledore, I didn't know. (Poor old man! And I was to assit in his murder!) His last two plans to do so had failed. He first tried giving Katie Bell a cursed necklace for her to present to Dumbledore. He is killed, she takes the fall, perfect, right? Wrong. The curious, innocent girl opened the package and took the damage the necklace could presenet herself, and all of this was back in the winter. Next, he gave Slughorn contaminated wine for him to send to the headmaster, but Slughorn instead shared it with Harry and Ron. Ron drank the first sip and demonstrated its devastating effects. It was during his time in the hospital that he and his girlfriend broke up. And now he was running low on ideas with May, and even the whole school year, almost over. He had to hope the plan about which I knew little would work.

One thing, however, was as marvelous and wonderful and humanly possible. Percy was mine, still mine, and our secret was unknown to all but one. How could I not tell Draco when I had sworn to tell him absolutely everything that ever would occur? He choked, sputtered, twitched, and complained, but soon he managed to push it to the back of his mind and practically forget it. It must've been too awkward to think of his cousin snogging a boy, let alone one of the oldest Weasley boys. Whatever the case was, he let it slip out of his thoughts. Understand one thing: I didn't tend to keep secrets. My feelings and thoughts were an open book with my personal opinion heading each page. It was difficult to keep quiet about Percy and I. My book of thoughts and feelings was closed, locked, and sealed with a kiss.

Another thing: my grades were still suffering. With hard work, I'd brought my transfiguration grade up to an A for acceptable, a grade I hadn't seen in a long, long time. My grades currently looked like this:

Charms: E Transfiguration: A Potions: T Defence Against the Dark Arts: T Care of Magical Creatures: O Divination: E

Despite my grades reading, "EAT TOE," I was quite proud of every one of them. The O in care of magical creatures earned me a bone-crushing hug from Hagrid, and I was his star pupil. In charms, Professor Flitwick graciously rounded up my grade to an E, a grade I probably didn't deserve, but, hey, participation points, right?

May passed without much going into it. June rose like a glittering yellow sun at four in the morning; obvious that it was coming, but arriving far before its time. Time was up. Draco had a plan now, a plan I was going to assist with. This was really going to happen; we were really going to kill Dumbledore. Everything was falling into place, and yet, at the same time, falling apart. We were moving up, making out way, and yet tumbling down, unstoppable and dangerous, ready to ruin the lives of people glittering with innocence. The crash at the end of the tumble was soon approaching, and here we were without any way to stop the fall.

It was the night of, the night the Death Eaters would come, and we would kill Dumbledore. Draco was explaining the plan to me, but my mind was absent and blank with fear and sorrow; sorrow because we were going to murder a truly wonderful man who had taught us, and everyone else envolved, so much, and fear because even if we succeeded, what would happen next? Draco would most likely fall deeper into the Death Eater's society, and I would do likewise, the only difference being that I wasn't really on their side as they thought. Fear also because if we failed, what then? The Dark Lord would be caught in a fit of rage and most likely murder not only Draco but Lucius and Narcissa, and I would not be able to contain myself then. My secret would be revealed, and then I too would be killed. In any possible outcome, at least one would die. There was no other answer.

"... Sophie are you listening?" Draco asked, breaking my mental drift away. His voice was clear despite the ever-present fear that shined through his eyes, revealing the true, innocent, scared litte boy he was forced to keep hidden within. He was, after all, just a boy, as Aunt Narcissa had pointed out. He glanced from the vanishing cabinet in this room, the Room of Requirement, to me again. "Sophia?"

"Hmm?" I whispered, for my voice could not rise in volume else I feared I would break into uncontrollable, senseless sobs. "Oh, I'm sorry, Draco, I wasn't listening. I-I was too busy trembling in fear and thinking of how horrible this is going to turn out..." A single tear escaped my eye.

"I know," he said seriously as he wiped away the tear with a finger, "I don't want to do this any more than you do, but I've got to. It'll turn out all right in the end, I promise." - He glanced at a clock hanging on the wall. - "They'll be here in a moment."

"Unfortunately so," I muttered incoherently, obvious distain for the situation present in my tone. Draco preformed the spell to make the vanishing cabinet work, and a moment later, the cabinet shook. Biting my lip, my nervousness showed vividly. Draco, equally unnerved, opened the door carefully. A smirking Bellatrix stepped out, confidence radiating from her with each step. After her came Greyback, and behind him, other Death Eaters.

"Sophie-kins!" Aunt Bella Dearest gushed, wrapping her boney little arms around me in a tight hug. She grinned a vile grin that was enough to make my stomache hurt, and I dreaded my future if that was how I might look in thirty or so years.

"Aunt Bella!" I said with fake joy, so fake, in fact, that Draco snickered a little bit under his breath, and I shot him a glare for a brief moment before having to break away. Greyback glanced at me, causing my voice to catch in my throat with fear, hatred, and all of that good stuff. My eyes quickly averted, which, unfortunately, gave him the satisfaction he was looking for, and his smirk expressed it. My hand twitched towards my wand involentarily as a snarl tried to come to my lips, and I bit them to prevent it from spreading.

My mind went black and thoughtless as Bellatrix spoke again. "Let's get going! Draco, what is our plan?" From the look in her eye, one would have thought we were going to a party or celebration, but, alas, this was not true. The cold-heared beast that I was forced to call my "aunt" was this excited for the murder of a great man, a murder that a teenager was in control of. Draco explained what we would do slowly and carefully, not missing a single detail, to make sure there were no mistakes.

"... and Sophie will go with me up to the tower while the rest of you lot cause some panic down here, then join me," Draco explained thoroughly. Most of these instructions fell upon deaf ears, however, so he went over it once more to be safe. After that, he nodded once before he and I left for the tower, which surely would be called the one of the greatest murder scene in history later on in time.

He spoke as we walked, he as nervous as I, yet his brain managed to function correctly. Perhaps he was braver than I. "Sophia, can I be completely honest with you?" he asked, and I nodded my response because the lump in my throat made speaking impossible. "I-I don't want to do this." Draco fought against tears, but a few escaped as the cold night wind blew harshly at us as if it knew what we were up to: murder.

"I have to do this," Draco added, "but I don't want to. I do not wish to kill; I do not like to kill." The wind brushed against our clothes, causing his shirt to fly up just a little, and I saw the scars where Harry had used some spell he'd discovered written in his potions textbook, a book claiming the ownership of a Half-Blood Prince. The scars reminded me of how far Harry had come, and gone, to protect his loved ones. He wasn't planning on letting anyone else die like Sirius and my father. Harry scared me a little with his intensity.

"Draco, I don't think anyone really likes to kill," I choked out, "except perhaps the Dark Lord himself and Aunt Bella Dearest." We glanced at each other quickly, and despite the speed of the look, I could see the fear in his eyes, so I added, "You don't have to do this. The Order can protect you, Aunt Cissa, and Uncle Lucius, I swear it."

"It's too late now," Draco said quietly, nearly in a whisper, "We've gone too far." We stopped walking and glanced up at the tower; just those stairs separated us from Dumbledore now, and, however literal one wishes to take it, they were the only things separating Dumbledore from death. Draco began to climb the stairs, and I followed like an obedient puppy, a minion, a servant, or worse; a Death Eater.

When we came near the top of the steps, Draco told he to stop where I was and stay still. After my nod to signify I would do so, he continued on to Dumbledore. Draco started off by disarming him, and Dumbledore expressed his pride in Draco for doing so. Dumbledore said much of what I had said; that it was never to late and Draco could come to the good side. Draco, with tears slipping down, sobbed his words, words expressing how much he cared for his family and how he was doing this all to keep Lucius and Narcissa safe. He turned towards me and motioned me forward.

Stepping into the light was difficult, but I did so. Said Dumbledore, "Sophia, hello. Are you assisting your cousin to kill me? That's very sweet to help him like that." In disbelief, and sheer clumsiness, I somehow tripped while standing still, and my mouth fell open as if to speak, but all was silent because the words were caught in my throat.

"It's perfectly fine if you are," Dumbledore soothed, "as long as you know your side. I was meerly asking. Please, after this is over, be sure to get out safely, all right? I wouldn't want you to get hurt. Get Draco out, as well." Tears rolled down my cheeks, and my mouth opened slightly and the words "Yes, sir" squeaked out. Feet suddenly pounded on the stairway as Bellatrix, Greyback, and a few other Death Eaters entered.

"Ah, Bellatrix, how are we?" Dumbledore asked with a slight grin. Despite the scene, it still seemed like Dumbledore was holding all the cards. Most likely, he was; Dumbledore always had a plan, after all, and I could scarcely believe how easily Draco has disarmed him.

"Do it, Draco!" Bellatrix hissed from behind him, her chin resting on his shoulder. She grinned largely, expecting a grand theatrical preformance to occur in the death of Dumbledore. One more pair of feet came up the stairs, feet owned by Severus. Nervously, I looked at him to see if he seemed disappointed with me for my part in this event. He, however, ignored my presence entirely, instead raising his own wand at Dumbledore.

"Severus, please," Dumbledore plead. His eyes were gently looking directly into Severus's. "Please, Severus," he plead once again. He gave Severus a small nod to re-affirm the pleading, as if expecting Severus to help him. This help, however, did not come.

"Avada Kedavra," came through Severus's lips, though I could hardly believe he'd said it. A flash of green shot from his wand directly into Dumbledore, who tumbled back and fell over the edge. My eyes whipped to Severus accusingly yet confusedly, as if I was demanding, yet pitifully pleading, for a reason behind this. Severus would not look at me.

"Sophie, send up the Mark," said Draco, quickly turning to me. When I just stared at him, he shouted, "Sophie, you heard me! Send it up!" I eyed back and forth from Draco to my godfather: one was staring at me, the other wouldn't make eye-contact, apparantly too ashamed by his actions.

"What?!" I gasped, "Draco, I-I don't think I ca-.." He interupted my last word, disrupting the sound of it. Difficultly, I started to believe what was going on. Draco tried to kill Dumbledore. He couldn't do it. Death Eaters came. Severus came. Severus killed Dumbledore. Dumbledore was dead.

"Send up the Mark!" Draco commanded one last time, and I had no choice but to obey. If I didn't, I would surely have been suspected of spy activity, especially by Aunt Bellatrix. Considering I hadn't really done anything this evening, Draco, though unknown to me, was trying to protect me from suspition.

"Morsmodre," I whispered with my wand pointed towards the sky. When nothing happened, Bellatrix cried, "Do it, Sophie! Feel the hatred! Show us you're on our side!" She knew. She must have found out I was a spy. I raised my wand once more and shouted, with all my being, "Morsmodre!" feeling the hatred she so desired me to, but the hatred was for her. Pure darkness shot from my wand and into the sky in the form of the Dark Mark, and all of us climbed down the tower stairs and raced out of the castle, Belaltrix breaking things the entire way.

Once outside, I informed them I was not going any further. If I left, the Order members would grow suspitious, and since Severus obviously just blew his "cover", they would need me. Bellatrix nodded and said I was "using my head right." Just then, Harry's voice seemed to explode the silence.

"Snape!" he screamed and sent spells hurling at Severus, who effortlessly repelled them as the other Death Eaters escaped. "Fight back, you coward! Fight back!" Harry was out of control with rage and grief; he must have seen Dumbledore's death. He sent an all-too familiar spell at Severus, a spell he had used on Draco, causing his those scars. Severus knocked him down, then approached him and whispered something that made a horrifying expression gather on Harry's face before turning and leaving. Harry sat there in shock for a moment. Then Hagrid came and helped him up, and together the two put out the flames my aunt had forced upon Hagrid's hut. Harry tried to explain that he saw Severus murder Dumbledore, but Hagrid didn't believe him.

"Yeh couldn' have," said Hagrid, shaking his head firmly. Slowly, I approached the two, tears trickling from my eyes slightly for remorse of what had happened, especially my part in it. "Sophie, did yeh see anythin' like tha'? Did yeh see Snape kill Dumbledore?"

"Wh-what I saw," I said with a quivering lip, "cannot be e-explained so easily, b-but, yes, Severus c-cast the spell that killed Dumbledore." My heart ached for my godfather like it had been stabbed, sliced, and ripped from my chest. My entire being ached as if the hole left by my removed heart was infected. The three of us silently walked over to the foot of the tower. A crowd of students and teachers was gathered, all circled around a particular spot. Harry instantly pushed through the crowd, and in the space left from where he had forced his entrance, I could see the body of Dumbledore innocently lying the grass, at peace with all around him, and even a smile on his lips. All of the gathered raised their wands in unison, light coming out of the tips and shooting into the sky to erase the Dark Mark. However, I could not do the same. How could I assist in the erasing of evil I had personally caused?

As soon as the crowd cleared, I left the unbearable scene and, as MgGonagall ordered all to do, went to the hospital. Apparantly, Greyback had injured Bill Weasley, and Bill was in the hospital. In the room with him was Tonks, Dad, Ron, Juliet, Luna, and Hermione. Shortly after I arrived, Ginny and Harry came. It was hard to focus, what with all that had happened, and I had helped the man who hurt Bill into the school. Tears instantly came to my eyes at the sight of Bill, and I turned to Tonks, who hugged me warmly, and sobbed deeply into her shirt. The first words I could hear through my sobs was Ron.

"Greyback hadn't transformed, so surely he won't be a.. a real.. ?" Ron asked, looking unsurely at Dad, for Remus would be the only person who could possibly know the answer. Dad explained that Bill wouldn't be a full werewolf, but he could have some comparably wolf-like features from then on. Ron then demanded to know where Dumbledore was, that Dumbledore owed Bill for his service. Ginny informed Ron of Dumbledore's death.

"No!" cried Dad with the force of many. He looked from Ginny to Harry to me and back again. When neither Harry nor I said other wise, he threw himself down into the chair next to Bill's bed and let his eyes cover his face. With little effort, I broke free of Tonks's warm embrace to cling to him. He patted my back with one hand while the other remained over his eyes.

"How did he die?" whispered Tonks with a tear in her eye, "How did it happen?" Harry explained the whole thing; how Dumbledore was weak anyway, how Draco tried to, and how Severus ended up carrying out the deed. He excluded the fact that I was there, as well, figuring if I was here now, crying, I must truly be on our side as I claimed. It felt good to have his trust. My mouth opened as I tried to re-affirm his statement, but song bursted through. It was the song of a phoenix, a song that echoed throughout the land and pierced our own souls. It broke when Professor MgGonagall entered and stated Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were on their way.

"Harry, what happened? According to Hagrid you were with Professor Dumbledore when he.. when it happened. He says Professor Snape was involved in some-.." MgGonagall asked, but Harry cut her off with all-too accurate statement: "Snape killed Dumbledore." Debate commenced about Severus, and for once, Dad was on the attacking side. With me on his lap and his hand slowly patting my head, I could feel his frustration towards Severus. The next statement I could focus on was minutes later, Dad saying something about if Luna and Hermione hadn't obeyed an order from Severus, he would have killed them.

"No he wouldn't have!" I shrieked in a shrill, high voice foreign to my own ears. "Severus would not have hurt a hair on either of their heads." My comment fell upon deaf ears, and the conversation and discussion of what had happened continued for a good, long, ten to twenty minutes before all became silent. Soon after the silence fell, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley burst through the doors, followed by Fleur who looked thoroughly terrified. Mrs. Weasley exclaimed with fear when she saw Bill's face and instantly ran to his side. Tonks, Dad, and I, who where at the side of the bad at the time, hastily made a small retreat. Mr. Weasley asked a question about Bill similar to one Ron had asked, and received a similar response from Dad. My mind drifted off once again. It was so hard to focus on anything.

The next thing I knew, Fleur was shouting accusingly at Mrs. Weasley. "You thought I would not weesh to marry him? Or per'aps you hoped? What do I care how he loosk? I am good-looking enough for both of us, I theenk! All these scars show is zat my husband is brave! And I shall do zat!" She said the last part firecely as she took the ointment Mrs. Weasley had for Bill from her. All was silent once again as no one dared speak or even move. We sat anxiously awaiting something for something of an explosion to happen. Instead, Mrs. Weasley offered a tiara belonging to a family relative for Fleur to wear at the wedding, for which Fleur thanked her awkwardly. Shortly after, Mrs. Weasley and Fleur were somehow hugging and sobbing, and none of us new what to make of it. It was very awkward to just sit in the same room as them, and I felt like I was intruding on a private moment. Then the explosion came.

"You see! She still wants to marry him even though he's been bitten! She doesn't care!" The explosion came from Tonks, with tears in her eyes, as she glared harshly at Dad. The tears threatened to overflow, but Tonks was strong, and there was no way that was happening.

"It's different," said Dad coldly. He looked away from her dramatically, and his entire being tensed. As he spoke, his lips hardly moved. Quickly, I stepped away from the two a little bit, just far enough to not be in the way should anything physical result, which it did. "Bill will not be a full werewolf. The cases are completly-.."

"But I don't care either," said Tonks as she grabbed his shirt collar and shook him as if the vibration could possibly make him understand better. "I don't care! I've told you a million times...." Letting myself space out again, I tried ignoring the rest of the conversation; I'd heard it a thousand times and really was quite sick of it. However, the expressions on Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny's faces said it was the first time they'd heard it. Despite trying to ignore the conversation, it was too hard to resist syncing my lips with Dad as he rattled off his reasons; "Too old, too poor, too dangerous.." I'd have sworn I heard Juliet shout from across the room, "Too stupid!"

More discussion commenced, but was broken by Hagrid entering. His face was soaked with mourning tears, tears for Dumbledore. He and MgGonagall had a short conversation before MgGonagall asked Harry to go with her somewhere, most likely to discuss the situation. However, I still chose to ignore the world as it was; perhaps it was because the world was just too painful, I didn't know, but I chose to pretend it wasn't real. Dumbledore was still alive. Draco had done nothing wrong. Severus was still here, perfectly fine, and on our side. With a little more effort, I even pretended the Dark Lord had never risen.

"Sophie?" said Dad, shattering my imaginary world into a thousand pieces so that it was the real one. "Are you all right? You seem distant, and you keep fading off. You don't usually do that. Is something wrong?..." He continued on, but I could not hear him. My mind was focused on Tonks who was gathering her things like she was about to leave. Without blinking, I watched her walk out the door. She looked back once, and a tear, one that had been fighting this whole time, succeeded in overtaking her. "...Sophie, are you listening?"

"She left," I whispered, looking away from him, "She's gone, and you let her leave." Tears now threatened me, as well, because I knew Tonks wasn't the kind of girl to wait around forever, no matter how much it hurt to move on, because it hurt to wait, too. All she wanted was him, but he was too stubborn.

"Pardon? I didn't hear you," Dad said. He seemed like tears could come to him too, but he was a man, and men try to never cry in public. It makes them seem weak, and that's a man's worst fear, I thought.

"She's gone!" I said strongly, now looking directly at him, piercing through his eyes, through his body, and straight into his heart, "You let her leave! Dad, you love her! Admit it! If you didn't love her, you wouldn't do this to her because you wouldn't care so much if she got hurt! But you're hurting her more this way, Dad! You're hurting her more! She loves you, but she's gone! She'd leave you alone if you told her straight out you didn't love her but you can't because you do love her! Just tell her! Let her in, Dad!"

He hadn't even noticed her exit. He spun around to look where she had been, but, as I said, she was absent. One tear stung his eye enough to break through his pride, and it ran down his cheek as if shouting, "I won!" Dad sank to his knees. "You're one-hundred percent right, Sophie. I love her. Wh-what do I do? She's gone."

"Go after her!" I shouted, "Go find her! She can't have gone far! In fact, she's probably still here! She loves you enough to give you the time to admit it to yourself! Go! Now!" Dad got up and did as I instructed. He turned and ran out of the door. He stopped in the doorway and looked to his right; Tonks was still there, leaning against the wall.

"Wotcher, Remus," Tonks laughed through tears of sorrow, for he had rejected her for so long, and joy, for she heard exactly all we had said. Though I couldn't see her, I knew she was smiling, even as tears ran down her cheeks. Remus returned with a small, "Hello." He took half of a step towards her, and that was all she needed. She smashed her lips into his. Like a train wreck, I found it impossible to look away. It was, however, awkward to see my cousin snogging my dad. The most awkward part of it was that he was snogging her back. For some reason, a seventeen-year-old girl doesn't like to see her father snogging someone. Crazy, right? 


	10. Goodbye, Albus Dumbledore

Everything at Hogwarts came to a sudden hault. After all, the headmaster was dead. Students were being pulled from school by their parents so fast that I was nervous to wake up and see who had left and who had stayed. One day, however, I found that I was the student leaving, and I was partly greatful. It hurt to hang around in Slytherin Common Room without Draco being there, and without him to keep his friends off of my back, I was subject to mockery. Tonks came to pick me up, promising I could come back for the funeral. She'd come on Dad's orders; bless them, they were a couple! It seemed to excite me almost as much as it did Tonks. Finally, we were all happy.

Everyone, that is, except Dumbledore. He wasn't happy; he was dead. And his funeral was soon. And I played a role in his death. Before Dumbledore, I had attended four funerals. The first was my mums, but I was young and scared, so I sat in the back and refused to look at the body. After all, it looked exactly the same as it had when she died, and I had been there. A few days after, I looked up to Severus and asked, "When does Mummy wake up?" The second was the first time I understood death, and it was the death of Cedric. My father knew his well enough to be invited, and I came along. Again, I sat in the back of the room and refused to see the body. It seemed too personal for someone like me to do. The last two had been one in the same: the body-less "burials" of my dad and Sirius.

"Get ready, Soph," said Tonks from my doorway the day of the funeral as I sat in my room at Dads house. "We should get going soon." I nodded, and, after a quick smile, she went off to do the same. Scanning my room for something appropriate to wear, I discovered something I had never seen before; a long, black dress with a wide, princess-like neckline, and the sleeves were long but open. Also on the coat-hanger was a black choker with a golden circle attached to the front with a large "S" on it. Below the gorgeous outfit was a pair of black heels that were maybe three inches high, perhaps four, and the straps wound up my ankles a little bit. Something in my gut told me to turn around, and there behind me was Dad.

"Sara loved that dress," said he, the look I was giving him telling him exactly what I wanted to know. "She left it here for Tonks to get eventually and then pass it down to you, but Tonks is taller than Sara was, so-.." Without a second of thought, I crossed the room and hugged him; I even kissed his cheek again. After I let go, Dad walked out so I could finish getting ready.

After changing into the beautiful dress that once was my mothers, I sat down at my vaniety stand to do my make-up and fix my hair. Eye-shadow, mascara, blush, and lipstick carefully lined my small face. Staring at the mirror, however, I just couldn't get my hair right. Pink? No, too exciting. Green? Too Slytherin-y. Red? Too Weasley-y. Eventually, I closed my eyes and just let my hair change by itself. Whatever it was when I opened my eyes, I would go with. When I opened my eyes, my hair was short, framing my face. It had become a pale pink with just enough color to show who it was. Carefully, I stood up and exited the room, going to the living room where Dad and Tonks were waiting. Tonks gave me a nod, and then three of us were off.

Once we were once again on school grounds, I couldn't help but look around to see who was there. Practically all the witches and wizards in England had come to pay their final respects. The Minister of Magic was even in attendance. Glancing around, I saw familiar faces everywhere. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Harry sat up in the front row. However, Tonks, Dad, and I found ourselves seats closer to the middle. Dolores Umbridge was here, and just seeing her face made my smile fade. Instictively, I grabbed the back of my left hand with my right, the words I'd proudly written still scarred into my skin: "Screw You, Umbridge!" I saw all the Wealsey, all but the one I was really looking for. Mad-Eye Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt had come, along with the members of my and Tonks's favorite band, the Weird Sisters. As I was glancing everywhere in front of me and to the left where Dad and Tonks sat holding hands, I didn't even notice as the empty seat to my right was filled. The person to my right tapped my shoulder, and I turned to find Percy sitting next to me. On his other side was the Minister of Magic. Quick so as not to let Dad, Tonks, or anyone else would see, I reached over and hugged him. A smile spread across my lips as his hand grasped mine, and we let them hang in between our chairs below for no one to view. Just then, the service began, and I remembered I was at a funeral. The body became enflamed, and tears blurred my vision for the rest of the service as many great people cried out for the loss of the great man, Albus Dumbledore. And I - I cried out, like all the others, but I was not among the great. 


	11. Author's Note

A/N: That's the end of this story! However, a sequel set in Deathly Hallows will soon be out. I haven't chose a title yet, but it will be Something Something-Something, Sophia Lupin's Story, and the description will state that it's the sequel. Thanks for sticking with the story until the end! 


End file.
